Fecal lead excretion in young children as related to sources of lead in their environments

Abstract

Fecal lead excretion (PbF) was studied in young children with elevated lead exposure. PbB was generally 40–70 μg/dl. The children's home environments were classified as to lead-base paint hazard and traffic density. There was a significant correlation between paint hazard classification and PbF but not between traffic density and PbF. There also was a correlation of PbB with paint hazard classification. Long-term fecal collections were instituted using 10 children who lived in high hazard homes and three children with low PbB's, whose PbF's were considered normal. Among the children living in high hazard homes, median fecal lead excretion generally was only moderately elevated. Grossly elevated amounts of lead were found only occasionally and only in a few of the children. Movement of two children from a high hazard home to a low hazard home resulted in prompt and substantial reduction in PbF. By contrast, PbB fell only very slowly.