CHANGES IN LEAD CONCENTRATIONS IN THE HOME-ENVIRONMENT IN BIRMINGHAM,ENGLAND OVER THE PERIOD 1984-1996

Data for lead concentrations reported in Birmingham prior to 1984 were reviewed and thought to be not strictly comparable in these surveys d ue to various sampling and analysis methodologies. A survey was implem ented to compare the concentrations of lead for 1984/1985 with those o f 85 houses re-sampled within the city in 1996. It is shown that lead concentrations and loading of dusts in and around the houses have fall en significantly over the last 11 years. However, lead concentrations in soils have only slightly decreased over the same period. The US EPA IEUBK model for exposure of children to lead is validated, updated an d applied to predict the blood lead level of young children. It is pre dicted that the blood lead concentrations of 2-year-old children have been reduced considerably over the period. The fall in lead concentrat ions is thought to be the consequence of the reduction policies for le ad emissions in the UK since the 1980s. The result of this study provi des a valuable example of the benefits of the reduction policies for l ead which are of equal importance in developing countries with rapid e conomic growth. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.