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Results of a lead decontamination program
L Goulet1, J Gaudreau, A Messier
1Direction de la Santé publique, Régie régionale de la santé et des services sociaux de la Montérégie, Quebec, Canada.
Archives of Environmental Health
|January 1, 1996
Summary
A public health program successfully reduced children's blood lead levels near a lead-reclamation plant. This initiative decreased lead exposure, demonstrating effective environmental health interventions for children.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Health
- Epidemiology
- Public Health Policy
Background:
- Children living near a lead-reclamation plant showed elevated blood lead levels in 1989 (geometric mean 9.2 µg/dL).
- A public health program was implemented to mitigate lead exposure risks in this vulnerable population.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of a public health program in reducing children's blood lead levels.
- To assess changes in lead exposure indicators among children residing near a lead-reclamation facility.
Main Methods:
- An epidemiological survey was conducted in 1991 involving 101 children aged 6 months to 10 years.
- Blood samples were collected via venipuncture, and demographic/behavioral data were gathered through interviews.
- Geometric mean blood lead levels were analyzed by age and residence, comparing 1989 and 1991 data.
Main Results:
- The geometric mean blood lead level in children significantly decreased to 5.0 µg/dL in 1991.
- No significant differences in blood lead levels were observed based on age or residence in 1991.
- A notable reduction in hand-to-mouth behaviors was recorded between 1989 and 1991.
Conclusions:
- The implemented lead-poisoning prevention program effectively achieved its objective of reducing children's lead exposure.
- Coordinated public agency actions at provincial and local levels were crucial to the program's success.
- Environmental health interventions can significantly lower lead exposure in children residing near industrial sources.