Lead exposure in two pottery handicraft populations

Lead poisoning studies were carried out in the populations of two potter towns in the State of Jalisco, Mexico. The first population in Tonalá included 198 people who use lead monoxide (PbO) in making pottery. The second population in El Rosario included 187 people who do not use any lead salt in the pottery-making process. The studies included children, adolescents and adults of both sexes. Analyses for lead in the blood (Pb-B), hemoglobin (Hb), hematocrit (Ht), and urinary delta-aminolevulinic acid (ALA U) were carried out. In the population exposed to lead, abnormally high lead concentrations in blood and urinary delta-aminolevulinic acid were found in both sexes and in all age groups studied. When compared to the control group, the differences are statistically significant. The Hb and Ht results fell within the lower normal limits in both populations. No cases of acute lead poisoning were found, but the high amount of lead absorption in the Tonalá population may be caused by the rudimentary means of manufacturing their products.