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El Paso Revisited: Title and subTitle BreakEpidemiologic Follow-up of an Environmental Lead Problem FREE

Dale L. Morse, MD; Philip J. Landrigan, MD; Bernard F. Rosenblum, MD; Jaqueline S. Hubert, MS; Jere Housworth, MS
[+] Author Affiliations

Reprint requests to Special Services Branch, Chronic Diseases Division, Bureau of Epidemiology, Center for Disease Control, Atlanta, GA 30333 (Dr Landrigan).


JAMA. 1979;242(8):739-741. doi:10.1001/jama.1979.03300080037022
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Increased lead absorption was found in 1972 in 56% of 256 children aged 1 to 18 years who lived within 1.6 km of a lead-emitting ore smeltery in El Paso, Tex. Engineering improvements have subsequently reduced emissions from the smeltery, and levels of lead in air, dust, and soil have declined. To evaluate the impact of these environmental improvements on lead absorption, we conducted a follow-up study in 1977 of blood lead levels in 140 children aged 1 through 18 years who lived within 1.6 km of the smeltery. Mean blood lead levels were found to have decreased from 41.4 to 17.7 μg/dL in children living within 0.8 km of the plant and from 31.2 to 20.2 μg/dL in children living at 0.8 to 1.6 km. These data argue for the feasibility of reducing children's lead absorption near primary lead smelteries.

(JAMA 242:739-741, 1979)

REFERENCES

Lead: Airborne Lead in Perspective , Division of Medical Sciences, National Research Council, Committee on Biologic Effects of Atmospheric Pollutants. Washington, DC, National Academy of Sciences, 1972;.
Caprio RJ, Margulis HL, Joselow MM:  Lead absorption in children and its relationship to urban traffic densities . Arch Environ Health 28:195-197, 1974;.
Oliver T: Lead Poisoning From the Industrial, Medical, and Social Points of View: Lectures Delivered at the Royal Institute of Public Health . New York, Paul B Hoeber Inc, 1914;.
Roberts TM, Hutchinson TC, Paciga J, et al:  Lead concentrations around secondary smelters: Estimation of dispersal and accumulation by humans . Science 186:1120-1123, 1974;.
Clark ARL: The sources of lead pollution and its effects on children living in the mining community of Kabwe, Zambia, Master of Science , Occupational Medicine Research Project, TUC Centenary Institute of Occupational Health. London, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, University of London, 1975;.
Landrigan PJ, Baker EL, Feldman RG, et al:  Increased lead absorption with anemia and slowed nerve conduction in children near a lead smelter . J Pediatr 89:904-910, 1976;.
Landrigan PJ, Gehlbach SH, Rosenblum BF, et al:  Epidemic lead absorption near an ore smelter . N Engl J Med 292:123-129, 1975;.
Ordoñez BR, Romero LR, Mora R:  Investigacion epidemiologica sobre niveles de plomo en la poblacion infantil y en el medio ambiente domiciliario de Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, en relacion con una fundicion de El Paso, Texas . Bol Of Sanit Panam 80:303-317, 1976;.
Kretzschmar RL: Report on Ambient Heavy Metals in El Paso, Texas . El Paso, Tex, El Paso City-County Health Unit document, 1977;.
Barthel WF, Smrek AL, Angel GP, et al:  Modified Delves cup atomic absorption determination of lead in blood . J Am Off Anal Chem 56:1252-1256, 1973;.
Klein M, Namer R, Harpur E, et al:  Earthenware containers as a source of fatal lead poisoning: Case study and public health considerations . N Engl J Med 283:669-672, 1970;.
Preventing Lead Poisoning in Young Children . Atlanta, Center for Disease Control, 1978;.
 Medical aspects of childhood lead poisoning . Pediatrics 48:464-468, 1971;.
 National ambient air quality standard for lead: Find rules and proposed rulemaking Federal Register 43:46246-46261 ( (Oct 5) ) 1978;.
Air Quality Criteria for Lead , EPA-600/8-77-017. US Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, (December) 1977;.
 National standard for airborne lead, American Academy of Pediatrics, Committee on Environmental Hazards . Pediatrics 62:1070-1071, 1978;.
Sayre JW, Charney E, Vostal J, et al:  House dust and hand dust as a potential source of childhood lead exposure . Am J Dis Child 127:167-170, 1974;.
Yankel AJ, von Lindern I, Walter S:  The Silver Valley lead study: The relationship between childhood blood lead levels and environmental exposure . J Air Pollut Control Assoc 27:763-767, 1977;.
Angle CR, McIntire MS:  Lead in air, dustfall, soil, housedust, milk and water: Correlation with blood lead of urban and suburban school children , in Proceedings of the Eighth Annual Conference on Trace Substances in Environmental Health , Columbia, Mo, (June 11) , 1974;.
Roels HA, Buchet J-P, Lauwerys R, et al:  Lead and cadmium absorption among children near a nonferrous metal plant: A follow-up study of a test case . Environ Res 15:290-308, 1978;.

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Country-Specific Mortality and Growth Failure in Infancy and Yound Children and Association With Material Stature

Use interactive graphics and maps to view and sort country-specific infant and early dhildhood mortality and growth failure data and their association with maternal

Lead: Airborne Lead in Perspective , Division of Medical Sciences, National Research Council, Committee on Biologic Effects of Atmospheric Pollutants. Washington, DC, National Academy of Sciences, 1972;.
Caprio RJ, Margulis HL, Joselow MM:  Lead absorption in children and its relationship to urban traffic densities . Arch Environ Health 28:195-197, 1974;.
Oliver T: Lead Poisoning From the Industrial, Medical, and Social Points of View: Lectures Delivered at the Royal Institute of Public Health . New York, Paul B Hoeber Inc, 1914;.
Roberts TM, Hutchinson TC, Paciga J, et al:  Lead concentrations around secondary smelters: Estimation of dispersal and accumulation by humans . Science 186:1120-1123, 1974;.
Clark ARL: The sources of lead pollution and its effects on children living in the mining community of Kabwe, Zambia, Master of Science , Occupational Medicine Research Project, TUC Centenary Institute of Occupational Health. London, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, University of London, 1975;.
Landrigan PJ, Baker EL, Feldman RG, et al:  Increased lead absorption with anemia and slowed nerve conduction in children near a lead smelter . J Pediatr 89:904-910, 1976;.
Landrigan PJ, Gehlbach SH, Rosenblum BF, et al:  Epidemic lead absorption near an ore smelter . N Engl J Med 292:123-129, 1975;.
Ordoñez BR, Romero LR, Mora R:  Investigacion epidemiologica sobre niveles de plomo en la poblacion infantil y en el medio ambiente domiciliario de Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, en relacion con una fundicion de El Paso, Texas . Bol Of Sanit Panam 80:303-317, 1976;.
Kretzschmar RL: Report on Ambient Heavy Metals in El Paso, Texas . El Paso, Tex, El Paso City-County Health Unit document, 1977;.
Barthel WF, Smrek AL, Angel GP, et al:  Modified Delves cup atomic absorption determination of lead in blood . J Am Off Anal Chem 56:1252-1256, 1973;.
Klein M, Namer R, Harpur E, et al:  Earthenware containers as a source of fatal lead poisoning: Case study and public health considerations . N Engl J Med 283:669-672, 1970;.
Preventing Lead Poisoning in Young Children . Atlanta, Center for Disease Control, 1978;.
 Medical aspects of childhood lead poisoning . Pediatrics 48:464-468, 1971;.
 National ambient air quality standard for lead: Find rules and proposed rulemaking Federal Register 43:46246-46261 ( (Oct 5) ) 1978;.
Air Quality Criteria for Lead , EPA-600/8-77-017. US Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, (December) 1977;.
 National standard for airborne lead, American Academy of Pediatrics, Committee on Environmental Hazards . Pediatrics 62:1070-1071, 1978;.
Sayre JW, Charney E, Vostal J, et al:  House dust and hand dust as a potential source of childhood lead exposure . Am J Dis Child 127:167-170, 1974;.
Yankel AJ, von Lindern I, Walter S:  The Silver Valley lead study: The relationship between childhood blood lead levels and environmental exposure . J Air Pollut Control Assoc 27:763-767, 1977;.
Angle CR, McIntire MS:  Lead in air, dustfall, soil, housedust, milk and water: Correlation with blood lead of urban and suburban school children , in Proceedings of the Eighth Annual Conference on Trace Substances in Environmental Health , Columbia, Mo, (June 11) , 1974;.
Roels HA, Buchet J-P, Lauwerys R, et al:  Lead and cadmium absorption among children near a nonferrous metal plant: A follow-up study of a test case . Environ Res 15:290-308, 1978;.
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