A pilot study determining hair arsenic and lead levels in residents of a community established on a former landfill in Puerto Rico

Bull Environ Contam Toxicol. 2012 Sep;89(3):572-6. doi: 10.1007/s00128-012-0715-7. Epub 2012 Jun 29.

Abstract

Arsenic (As) and lead (Pb) were determined in hair of 12 adult women and 27 children living in a soil-metal contaminated community in Puerto Rico. Average concentrations in residential soils ranged from 24 to 109 μg/g for As and from 42 to 1,585 μg/g for Pb. For hair-As, about 75% of the samples were below 0.08 μg/g. Hair-Pb presented levels of health concern, with 10% of the samples above a reference value of 5 μg/g, indicating significant exposure to Pb. Multivariate analyses revealed that children's Pb hair levels were predicted by age and sex, while consumption of home-grown animals influenced the association with soil-Pb.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Arsenic / analysis*
  • Child
  • Female
  • Hair / chemistry*
  • Humans
  • Lead / analysis*
  • Multivariate Analysis
  • Puerto Rico
  • Refuse Disposal*

Substances

  • Lead
  • Arsenic