ENVIRONMENTAL-HEALTH IN MINORITY AND OTHER UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS - BENIGN METHODS FOR IDENTIFYING LEAD HAZARDS AT DAY-CARE-CENTERS OF NEW-ORLEANS

This study tests the hypothesis that exterior sources of lead dust are more important than interior sources in the route of exposure of chil dren. Benign field methods were used to distinguish between potential and actual lead exposure problems. Utilising hand wipe and surface wip e techniques, hand and environmental samples were obtained from select ed day care centres at different locations within New Orleans. Previou s research has shown that soil lead is determined by location within t he city. Private and public day care centres were selected from inner and outer city areas to estimate the extent of hand lead exposure. To measure and identify the extent of environmental lead exposure, hand w ipes were taken before and after playing outdoors. Results of prelimin ary findings show that outdoor lead dust is a more potent contaminant of hands than indoor lead dust. An association was found between the a mount of lead on children's hands after playing outdoors and the lead content in the exterior dust and soil. Although two girls out of forty children had exceptionally high hand lead quantities after playing ou tdoors, in general, boys have higher hand lead levels than girls. The private inner-city day care centre had a severe contamination problem in its outdoor play area. By contrast, the outdoor play area of the pu blic inner city day care centre is of such a high quality that the qua ntity of lead dust is independent of location in the city.