Surface soil as a potential source of lead exposure for young children

Soil analyses revealed an elevated lead content in the surface soil of three British Columbia cities. The lead accumulations were largely attributed to dustfall from a nearby large lead-zinc smelter in Trail and to automotive traffic in Nelson and Vancouver. Although the mean concentrations of lead in the soil were relatively low at Nelson (192 parts per million [ppm]), in selected areas of Vancouver with heavy traffic they were similar to those found within 1.6 km of the large smelter at Trail (1545 and 1662 ppm respectively). In a study conducted in 1975, children aged 1 to 6 years in Trail and Nelson were found to have higher mean blood lead levels than grade nine students. The findings of the later study support the view that particulate lead in surface soil and dust accounted for most of the greater lead absorption in the younger children.