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Tracking the source of contaminant lead in children's blood
F Becker1, F Marcantonio1, S Datta2
1Department of Geology and Geophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA.
Insights
Lead isotope ratios helped identify lead sources in children
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Toxicology
- Analytical Chemistry
Background:
- Elevated blood lead levels (BLLs) in children pose significant health risks.
- Identifying lead (Pb) sources is crucial for effective intervention strategies.
- Urban environments often present complex mixtures of potential lead exposure sources.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the sources of lead exposure in children with high blood lead levels (>5 µg/dL) in the Kansas City, MO urban area.
- To compare lead isotope ratios in children's blood with potential environmental sources in their homes.
Main Methods:
- Multi-collector ICP-MS was used to measure lead isotope ratios (²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb, ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁴Pb, ²⁰⁸Pb/²⁰⁴Pb).
- Lead isotope ratios in children's blood were compared to those from environmental samples including topsoils, paints, dusts, air filters, occupational items, and dietary sources.
- Blood lead levels (BLLs) in participating children ranged from 2.9 to 12.7 µg/dL.
Main Results:
- Lead isotope analysis successfully identified likely lead sources in three out of five investigated homes.
- In most cases, indoor dust and outdoor topsoil were identified as primary lead sources, or a combination of both.
- Specific sources identified included turmeric spice in one instance and paint in another.
Conclusions:
- Lead isotope ratio analysis is a valuable tool for pinpointing lead exposure sources in children.
- Dust and topsoil are significant contributors to lead exposure in urban children's homes.
- Challenges remain in source attribution when environmental sample isotope ratios do not overlap with blood lead isotope ratios.
Abstract:
Pb isotope ratios are used for apportioning the sources of Pb in the blood of children (ages 1-6) screened for high blood Pb levels (>5 μg/dL) surrounding urban areas of Kansas City, MO. We compared Pb isotope ratios measured in the child's blood with those of the most likely sources of Pb in that child's home environment. The environmental sources sampled consisted of topsoils, paints, occupational sources (e.g., oil rig workers' uniforms, mechanics' clothes), indoor air filters, dusts, and dietary sources (e.g., spices). Blood lead levels (BLL) ranged from 2.9 to 12.7 μg/dL in children from the five homes participating in this study. Measurements of 206Pb/204Pb, 207Pb/204Pb and 208Pb/204Pb isotope ratios were made by multi-collector ICP-MS. Comparison of the Pb isotope ratios in home environment samples versus those in the child's blood in each home allowed the identification of possible sources of a child's Pb exposure in three homes. In five homes investigated, children's blood Pb levels were most likely to be derived from dusts inside, and topsoil outside, the homes, or a mixture thereof. In one case, blood Pb was derived from turmeric spice and, in another, the Pb was derived from paint. It is not always possible to directly link high BLLs to the environmental sources collected when Pb isotope ratios of the environmental samples did not overlap with those of the blood.
