Lead Absorption in Children and Its Relationship to Urban Traffic Densities

Abstract

The relationship between blood-lead levels in children and household location with respect to distances from major arterials and traffic density in the city of Newark, NJ, is examined. The findings confirm that the occurrence of excessive lead absorption in children is increased by household proximity to major urban highways or heavy traffic density. The inhalation of automobile exhausts is thus imputed as an important factor in the etiology of childhood lead poisoning in urban areas.