Childhood Blood Lead Reductions Following Removal of Leaded Ceramic Glazes in Artisanal Pottery Production: A Success Story

Background. Lead exposure within artisanal ceramics workshop communities in Mexico continues to be a major source of childhood lead poisoning. Artisanal ceramics workshops expose children through direct ingestion, contaminated soil, and food prepared in lead-glazed pottery. Conversion to non-lead glazes alone may not effectively reduce exposure. This paper describes a model comprehensive intervention and environmental remediation of an artisanal ceramics workshop in the state of Hidalgo, Mexico. Objectives. The purpose of the project was to evaluate the effectiveness of environmental interventions—including removal of lead-contaminated equipment, soil and pottery—on childhood blood lead levels. Methods. A typical artisanal workshop using lead glaze was identified and assessed for lead contamination. Baseline blood lead levels (BLL) were taken from 5 children inhabiting the workshop prior to remediation. Follow-up paired BLL were taken 3- and 12-months post-remediation and results compared. Results. A mean 54% decrease in BLL within 3 months of remediation and a 57% decrease within 1 year was observed. Conclusions. This project shows the effectiveness of environmental lead remediation at artisanal Mexican ceramics workshops for purposes of sustained BLL reductions. Application of the methods presented in this paper to other ceramics workshops using lead glaze in central Mexico will likely help to further reduce childhood lead poisoning.