Effect of a Screening Program on Changing Patterns of Lead Poisoning

Sachs, Henrietta K.

doi:10.2307/3427993

Cited by 6 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 1 publication

(1 reference statement)

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“…The equilibrium may be altered by change of intake which may be excessive in the case of workers exposed to lead, and in children among deprived families living in poor socio-economic circumstances in whom the habit of pica may be prevalent. Chisolm (1971), Sachs (1974), Guinee (1971), Emmerson (1963), Henderson (1954), Laurer et al (1973), and Barltrop (1971;1972) have clearly defined those situations which give rise to a childhood risk, practically all associated with the ingestion of peeling flecks of lead-containing paint from the surfaces of old dilapidated houses. Other unusual causes giving rise to high lead intake include the drinking of alcoholic and other beverages contaminated with lead, the use of cooking utensils and improperly glazed ceramic tableware containing lead, the ingestion by children of lead in toys and exposure to the burning of scrap lead batteries, water supplies contaminated by lead piping, cosmetics and factory emissions (Conway, 1940;Cantarow and Trumper, 1944;Travers, Rendle-Short, and Harvey, 1956;Lane and Lawrence, 1961;Morgan, Hartley, and Miller, 1966;Harris and Elsea, 1967;Walls, 1969;Klein et al, 1970;Hickman, 1970;Beattie et al, 1972a;Beattie et al, 1972b;Fugas et al, 1973;Martin et al, 1974;and McNeil and Ptasnik, 1974).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A comparison of concentrations of lead in human tissues.

Barry¹

1975

Occupational and Environmental Medicine

283

211

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This postmortem study of lead concentrations in the tissues of 129 subjects is an extension to a report by Barry and Mossman (1970). Lead concentrations in bone greatly exceeded the concentrations in soft tissues and were highest in the dense bones. Bone lead concentrations increased with age in both sexes, more especially in male subjects and in dense bone, varying between mean values of 2-16 ppm in the ribs of children to over 50 ppm in the dense petrous temporal bones of elderly male adults. Male adults contained over 30% more lead in their bones than females. Mean concentrations of lead in the soft tissues varied from less than 0-1 ppm in organs such as muscle and heart to over 2 ppm in the aorta. In most tissues with lead values in excess of 0-2 ppm the male concentrations exceeded female values by about 30%. With the exception of the aorta, spleen, lung, and prostate, lead concentrations did not increase with age in the soft tissues of either sex after about the second decade of life. Children showed concentrations of lead in their soft tissues comparable to female adults, but the concentrations in bone were much lower. It is suggested that children do not possess the same capacity as adults to retain lead in bone. In male adults occupationally exposed to lead the concentrations of lead in bone exceeded the concentrations in unexposed male adults within the same age group by two-to three-fold. Soft tissue lead concentrations between the two groups were less divergent. An assessment of the total body burden of lead revealed higher levels in adult male subjects than in females at mean values of 164-8 mg compared to 103-6 mg, respectively. Over 90% of the total body burden of lead in adults was in bone, of which over 70% was in dense bone. Male adults occupationally exposed to lead had mean total body burdens of 566-4 mg Pb, of which 97% was in bone. The release of lead from bone in conjunction with calcium was not considered to be of physiological significance. Lead concentrations of hair and nails were higher than soft tissue lead concentrations and varied widely. Hair lead measurements were not considered to provide a reliable assessment of lead absorption. The concentrations of lead in tissues of a mixed group of subjects with no known occupational exposure to lead have been shown to be comparable to the findings in earlier studies. Present levels of lead in the environment are not considered to be a hazard to the health of the population in general.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A comparison of concentrations of lead in human tissues.

Barry¹

1975

Occupational and Environmental Medicine

283

211

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“…This indicates that the overwhelming PbB contribution was from lead dust via hand-to-mouth activity, demonstrating that soil and house dust can cause epidemics of lead poisoning. In contrast to these lead industry studies showing 50 to more than 90% of young children with PbB levels greater than 40 pg/dl, the Chicago Lead Clinic in its worst year (1969) found that only 8% of children had PbB levels greater than 50 pg/dl (with an average of 3.2% having levels greater than 50 pg/dl out of hundreds of thousands of children screened for the years 1967-1971) (43). These studies suggest that lead dust can be a major source of the lead contributing to population PbB levels in inner cities and are similar to those in smelter communities, albeit from a different source.…”

mentioning

confidence: 93%

Soil is an important pathway of human lead exposure.

Mielke

Reagan

1998

Environ Health Perspect

340

166

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This review shows the equal or greater importance of leaded gasoline-contaminated dust compared to lead-based paint to the child lead problem, and that soil lead, resulting from leaded gasoline and pulverized lead-based paint, is at least or more important than lead-based paint (intact and not pulverized) as a pathway of human lead exposure. Because lead-based paint is a high-dose source, the biologically relevant dosage is similar to lead in soil. Both lead-based paint and soil lead are associated with severe lead poisoning. Leaded gasoline and lead in food, but not lead-based paint, are strongly associated with population blood lead levels in both young children and adults. Soil lead and house dust, but not lead-based paint, are associated with population blood lead levels in children. Most soil lead and house dust are associated with leaded gasoline. Lead-based paint dust is associated with cases of renovation of either exterior or interior environments in which the paint was pulverized. Based upon the limited data to date, abatement of soil lead is more effective than abatement of lead-based paint in reducing blood lead levels of young children. About equal numbers of children under 7 years of age are exposed to soil lead and lead-based paint. Seasonality studies point to soil lead as the main source of population blood lead levels. Soil lead is a greater risk factor than lead-based paint to children engaged in hand-to-mouth and pica behavior. In summary, soil lead is important for addressing the population of children at risk of lead poisoning. When soil lead is acknowledged by regulators and the public health community as an important pathway of human lead exposure, then more effective opportunities for improving primary lead prevention can become a reality. Environ Health Perspect 106(Suppl 1):217-229 (1998). http.//ehpnetl.niehs.nih.gov/docs/1998/Suppl-1/21 7-229mielke/abstract.html

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“…In addition, Black children had a higher incidence of elevated blood lead concentrations than Puerto Rican children. Chisolm (1971) in Baltimore, Sachs (1973) in Chicago and Fine et al (1972) in Illinois, have also found that the ingestion of lead-based paint was the principal cause of elevated blood lead in children in those cities. They did not find that the lead from automobile exhausts was a contributory source that could account for excessive intake among children.…”

Section: The Lead Smelter At Avonmouth and Factories Inmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…It continues to be so used for much outdoor application but has been largely replaced for indoor use by titanium. Lead in paint from the surfaces of old, dilapidated buildings has been shown to be a major source of excessive intake, resulting in poisoning among children, as evidenced by the work of investigators in Australia (Nye, 1929;Henderson, 1954;Emmerson, 1963), in the U.S.A. (Chisolm, 1971;Guinee, 1972;Sachs, 1973), and by Barltrop (1972) …”

mentioning

confidence: 99%