Lead Pollution, Demographics, and Environmental Health Risks: The Case of Philadelphia, USA

Lead (Pb) soil contamination in urban environments represents a considerable health risk for exposed populations, which often include environmental justice communities. In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (PA), Pb pollution is a major concern primarily due to extensive historical Pb-smelting/processing activity and legacy use of Pb-based paints and leaded gasoline. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) organized and/or compiled community-driven soil sampling campaigns to investigate Pb content in surface soils across Philadelphia. Using these data (n = 1277), combined with our own dataset (n = 1388), we explored the spatial distribution of Pb content in soils across the city using ArcGIS. While assessing Zone Improvement Plan (ZIP)-code level data, we found strong correlations between factors, such as the percentage of children with elevated blood lead levels (% EBLL) and % minority population as well as between % EBLL and % children in poverty. We developed a “Lead Index” that took demographics, median measured Pb-in-soil content, and % EBLLs into account to identify ZIP codes in need of further assessment. Our results will be used to help lower the Pb-exposure risk for vulnerable children living in disproportionately burdened communities.

Download Full-text

An Integrated Exposure/ Pharmacokinetic Based Approach to the Assessment of Complex Exposures

Toxicology and Industrial Health ◽

10.1177/074823379100700401 ◽

1991 ◽

Vol 7 (4) ◽

pp. 231-248 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

C.T. Derosa ◽

H. Choudhury ◽

W.B. Peirano

Keyword(s):

Environmental Protection Agency ◽

Serum Vitamin ◽

Blood Lead ◽

Blood Lead Levels ◽

Blood Levels ◽

Human Populations ◽

Potential Health ◽

Serum Vitamin D ◽

Vitamin D Levels ◽

Lead Levels

A problem in evaluating the hazard represented by an environ mental toxicant is that exposures can occur via multiple media such as water, land, and air. Lead is one of the toxicants of con cern that has been associated with adverse effects on heme me tabolism, serum vitamin D levels, and the mental and physical development of infants and children exposed at very low envi ronmental levels. Effects of lead on development are particularly disturbing in that the consequences of early delays or deficits in physical or mental development may have long-term conse quences over the lifetime of affected individuals. Experimental and epidemiologic studies have indicated that blood lead levels in the range of 10-15 μ g/ dl , or possibly lower, are likely to produce subclinical toxicity. Since a discernible threshold has not been demonstrated, it is prudent to preclude development of a Reference Dose (RfD) for lead. As an alter nate, the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (U. S. EPA) has developed the uptake/biokinetic lead model that provides a means for evaluating the relative contribution of various media to establishing blood lead levels in children. This approach will allow for the identification of site- and situation-specific abate ment strategies based on projected blood lead levels in vulnera ble human populations exposed to lead in air, diet, water, soil/ dust, and paint; thus making it possible to evaluate regulatory decisions concerning each medium on blood levels and potential health effects.

Download Full-text

American Robin (Turdus Migratorius) Blood Lead Levels May Reflect Elevated Soil Lead Levels: Further Consequences of the Flint Water Crisis

10.21203/rs.3.rs-1004277/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Dorothy Louise Zahor ◽

Kenneth Joseph Glynn ◽

Jamie M. Cornelius

Keyword(s):

Body Condition ◽

Blood Lead ◽

Urban Environments ◽

Blood Lead Levels ◽

Water Crisis ◽

Turdus Migratorius ◽

American Robin ◽

Soil Lead ◽

Lead Levels ◽

The Impact

Abstract High levels of pollutants often occur in urban environments and can pose a threat to human residents as well as local wildlife. The Flint, Michigan water crisis was caused by the corrosion of pipe infrastructure, resulting in high levels of lead (Pb) leaching into the drinking water. Irrigation with contaminated water may have introduced lead into the soil causing another source of exposure to humans as well as wildlife. A widespread songbird species, the American robin (Turdus migratorius), feeds heavily on earthworms and ingests large amounts of soil during foraging. This study investigated the impact of the Flint water crisis on American robin blood lead levels (BLL) during the breeding season in southeast MI by comparing BLL of birds captured at irrigated sites of Flint to those captured at unirrigated sites in Flint, irrigated sites in a nearby city (Ypsilanti) and rural sites. Robins captured at irrigated Flint sites had nearly double BLL compared to unirrigated Flint sites and all other control sites. Body condition declined with increasing BLL at these irrigated sites of Flint, suggesting a measurable fitness impact of lead at these levels. Because BLL in American robins is known to reflect soil lead levels and soil lead is a known driver of BLL in children, robins may act as a bioindicator for urban communities. Further research should determine the efficacy of using robin BLL as a bioindicator of soil lead and how lead might be impacting body condition and other long-term fitness metrics in urban wildlife.

Download Full-text

Lead Environmental Pollution and Childhood Lead Poisoning at Ban Thi Commune, Bac Kan Province, Vietnam

BioMed Research International ◽

10.1155/2018/5156812 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 2018 ◽

pp. 1-7

Author(s):

Doan Ngoc Hai ◽

Lo Van Tung ◽

Duong Khanh Van ◽

Ta Thi Binh ◽

Ha Lan Phuong ◽

...

Keyword(s):

High Risk ◽

Lead Poisoning ◽

Lead Exposure ◽

Environmental Protection Agency ◽

Lead Concentration ◽

Lead Level ◽

Public Health Problem ◽

Blood Lead ◽

Total Blood ◽

Lead Levels

Lead poisoning is a public health problem in many areas of the world. Children are at particularly high risk for adverse effects of lead exposure; even at low concentrations, lead can affect physical, mental, and behavioral development. Children living near lead-zinc mines are at high risk for environmental lead poisoning, especially the contaminated soil. We conducted a cross-sectional descriptive study in Ban Thi Commune, northern Vietnam. 195 children (92,9% participation) aged 3-14 years old (average: 7.69 ± 2.90) were randomly selected from a list of all children prepared by the village health collaborators. 109 (55.90%) were boys and 86 (44.10%) were girls. The research measures were the lead concentration in native soil and the children’s total blood lead concentration determined by the inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) method. The results showed that lead content in soil was many times higher than American Environmental Protection Agency and Vietnam standards (average 2980.23 ± 6092.84 mg/kg dry weight of soil (range 80.05 – 33820.62)). Average blood lead levels for children were 15.42 ± 6.45 μg/dL (95% CI: 14.50 -16.33 μg/dL). The percentage of children with lead levels >10 μg/dL (value considered to be lead poisoning for children according to the Ministry of Health of Vietnam) was 79.49% of the total number of children. None of the children in this study had blood lead level (BLL) that required chelation treatment according to Vietnam MOH guideline (BLL ≥45 μg/dL). There is weakly evidence that lead exposure relates to the physical development of children. Children with low lead concentrations (less than 10 μg/dL) had height and weight of 1.47-3.51 cm and 1.19-2.81 kg, greater than those with BLL >10 μg/dL (p>0.05).

Download Full-text

Assessing risk with increasingly stringent public health goals: the case of water lead and blood lead in children

Journal of Water and Health ◽

10.2166/wh.2013.067 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

pp. 57-68 ◽

Cited By ~ 29

Author(s):

Simoni Triantafyllidou ◽

Daniel Gallagher ◽

Marc Edwards

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Environmental Protection Agency ◽

Tap Water ◽

Blood Lead ◽

Health Concern ◽

Radiological Protection ◽

Biokinetic Model ◽

Health Goals ◽

New Public Health ◽

Lead Levels

Previous predictions of children's blood lead levels (BLLs) through biokinetic models conclude that lead in tap water is not a primary health risk for a typical child under scenarios representative of chronic exposure, when applying a 10 μg/dL BLL of concern. Use of the US Environmental Protection Agency Integrated Exposure Uptake Biokinetic (IEUBK) model and of the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) biokinetic model to simulate children's exposure to water lead at home and at school was re-examined by expanding the scope of previous modeling efforts to consider new public health goals and improved methodology. Specifically, explicit consideration of the more sensitive population groups (e.g., young children and, particularly, formula-fed infants), the variability in BLLs amongst exposed individuals within those groups (e.g., more sensitive children at the upper tail of the BLL distribution), more conservative BLL reference values (e.g., 5 and 2 μg/dL versus 10 μg/dL) and concerns of acute exposure revealed situations where relatively low water lead levels were predicted to pose a human health concern.

Download Full-text

A County-Level Program for the Evaluation of the Potential for Take-Home Lead Exposures Among Children in Michigan

Public Health Reports ◽

10.1177/00333549211061327 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 003335492110613

Author(s):

Anthony N. Oliveri ◽

Lindsey A. Fagerstrom ◽

Ling Wang ◽

Kenneth D. Rosenman

Keyword(s):

Best Practices ◽

Lead Exposure ◽

Environmental Protection Agency ◽

Geometric Mean ◽

Blood Lead ◽

Wipe Sampling ◽

Lead Dust ◽

The Us ◽

Lead Levels ◽

Internet Searches

Objective: Take-home lead exposure involves lead dust inadvertently carried from the worksite by employees that becomes deposited in their homes and vehicles. We piloted a program in 2 counties in Michigan to investigate the countywide potential for take-home lead exposures across industries. Methods: During 2018-2020, we identified establishments through internet searches and industry-specific registries. We visited establishments with a physical storefront in-person; we attempted to contact the remaining establishments via telephone. We administered questionnaires at the establishment level to assess the presence of lead and the current use of practices meant to mitigate the potential for take-home lead exposures. We recruited workers for wipe sampling of lead dust from their vehicle floors to test for lead levels. Results: We identified 320 establishments with potential lead use or exposures. Questionnaire responses revealed widespread worker exposures to lead and a lack of education and implementation of best practices to prevent lead from leaving the worksite. Dust samples (n = 60) collected from employee vehicles showed a ubiquitous tracking of lead out of the workplace, with a range of 5.7 to 84 000 µg/ft2 and a geometric mean of 234 µg/ft2. Of the sample results, 95.0% were above the lead dust clearance levels for homes established by the US Environmental Protection Agency. Conclusions: This work suggests that take-home lead exposures are widespread and may be important sources of lead exposure among children. It also demonstrates the feasibility of a program for the identification of establishments whose employees may be susceptible to taking lead dust home with them and whose children may subsequently be targeted for blood lead monitoring.

Download Full-text