BLOOD LEAD LEVELS IN CHILDREN IN SOUTH CENTRAL LOS-ANGELES

We retrospectively reviewed 3 679 pediatric records from King/Drew Med ical Center, south central Los Angeles, between 1991 and 1994. Blood l ead levels of children were followed to age 18 y. Patients were not re ferred specifically for lead poisoning. The sample was primarily Latin o. Geometric mean blood lead peaked at 6.7 mu g/dl (0.32 mu mol/l) bet ween 2 and 3 y of age. There was a downward secular trend and a season al trend. Males had higher lead levels than females. Children who live d in several zipcode areas, in which the lowest family incomes were re ported, had higher lead levels. More Latino children had higher lead l evels than African American children. Latino children (i.e., 20.2%) wh o were 1-5 y of age had blood lead levels that were greater than or eq ual to 10 mu g/dl. Young Latino children in this zone of Los Angeles m ay be at increased risk for lead exposure.