Impact of Soil and Dust Lead on Children's Blood Lead in Contaminated Areas of Sweden

Abstract

The impact of lead in soil and dust on blood lead concentrations in young children (i.e., 1–5 y of age, N = 202) and the risk of health effects were investigated in an urban and a mining area of Sweden. Blood, soil, and indoor dust, as well as information on lead-exposure factors, were collected. The blood lead concentrations (total range = 9–77 μmlg/l) the authors measured indicated a low risk for lead-induced health effects. Lead in soil (i.e., < 10–5,000 μmlg/g) and in dust (i.e., < 1–316 μmlg/g) had little effect on blood lead concentrations, given the present conditions and present concentration range—especially in the mining area. Urban children had significantly higher blood lead concentrations than children in the mining area, despite higher concentrations of lead in soil in the mining area. In the urban children, blood lead concentrations were influenced by parental smoking and lead in dust at day-care centers.