BLOOD LEAD LEVELS IN 2-YEAR-OLD TO 3-YEAR-OLD CHILDREN IN THE GREATER-BILBAO-AREA (BASQUE COUNTRY, SPAIN) - RELATION TO DUST AND WATER LEADLEVELS

The objectives of this study were to determine blood lead levels in 2- y-old children in the Greater Bilbao Area (Basque Country, Spain) and to compare those levels with the lead content of different media (i.e. , house dust, park dust and soil, and water) in the child's environmen t. Between May and September of 1992, 138 children, aged 2 to 3 y, wer e studied. All children were attended by pediatricians within the publ ic health-care network, and their parents volunteered for the study. A venous blood sample was drawn from each child and was analyzed for le ad level, and the parents answered a questionnaire that addressed the socioeconomic background and habits of the children. The environment w as investigated in 42 cases. Blood lead levels exceeded 15 mu g/dl in 2% of the children, and 14% of the children had levels that exceeded 1 0 mu g/dl (geometric mean = 5.7 mu g/dl [4.7-6.7 mu g/dl]). Blood lead levels were higher among (a) children whose mothers worked outside th e home, (b) children whose fathers had only a primary-level education, and (c) children who lived in houses constructed prior to 1950. The g eometrical averages of lead in house dust, park soil, and park dust we re 595, 299, and 136 mu g/g, respectively. Statistically significant l inear correlation was found between blood lead level and lead content in park dust, a finding that explained a 9% variation in blood lead le vel; a subgroup of these children was also found to have a strong line ar association between blood lead and lead content in house dust.