Lead levels in deciduous teeth in relation to tooth type and tissue as well as to maternal behavior and selected individual environmental parameters of children

In contrast to the blood lead level, which is an effective indicator of cur rent exposure, the concentration of lead in the teeth is a measure of inter nal exposure in the past and low-level chronic exposure. Our measurements s how that lead concentrations depend in a complex manner on both the part an d the type of tooth. We highlight a variety of risk factors of long-term le ad exposure: involuntary smoking (including by expecting mothers), the type and duration of the way to school (the effect of traffic), how children pl ay, the individual environment (housing conditions), and other factors. (C) 1999 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.