Lead in School Children from Morelos, Mexico: Levels, Sources and Feasible Interventions

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

Paulina Far໚s¹  Urinda Álamo-Hernández¹  Leonardo Mancilla-Sánchez¹  José Luis Texcalac-Sangrador¹  Leticia Carrizales-Yá༞z²  Horacio Riojas-Rodríguez¹ 

[1] Centro de Investigación en Salud Poblacional, Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública, Universidad No. 655 Colonia Santa María Ahuacatitlán, Cerrada Los Pinos y Caminera C.P., Cuernavaca, Morelos 62100, Mexico; E-Mails:;Departamento de Toxicología Ambiental, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, San Luis Potosí 78000, Mexico; E-Mail:

关键词: Pb;    lead sources;    children;    lead-glazed ceramics;    Alpuyeca;    Mexican candy;   

DOI  :  10.3390/ijerph111212668

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

Background: Lead is a pervasive pollutant, associated at low levels to many adverse health effects. Objective: To investigate lead levels, exposure pathways and intervention possibilities in school children from Alpuyeca, in Morelos, Mexico. Methods: Blood lead concentrations (BPb) were measured in 226 children in 2011. Exposure pathways were assessed through a questionnaire, lead measurements in different environmental matrices and spatial aggregation analysis of lead concentrations. Results: BPb ranged from 1.5 to 36.5 µg/dL, with a mean (SD) of 7.23 (4.9) µg/dL. Sixty-four and 18% of the children had BPb > 5 µg/dL and > 10 µg/dL, respectively. The use of lead glazed ceramics was reported in almost half of the households; it was the main BPb determinant and it was associated with an increased risk of having BPb > 5 g/dL by 2.7 times (p = 0.001). Environmental samples were within US EPA’s lead recommended limits, and blood lead levels were randomly distributed in the community. Conclusions: Lead remains a public health problem in Alpuyeca, Mexico. Unlike other local pollutants, lead exposure prevention can be achieved inexpensively and in a short term. Interventions should make mothers aware of lead’s health effects and empower them to safeguard their children’s health by avoiding the culturally ingrained use of lead glazed pottery.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© 2014 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.