- Full (HTML) - Related EHP Articles -

Isabelle Romieu,¹ Marina Lacasana,¹ Rob McConnell,¹ and the Lead Research Group of the Pan-American Health Organization

¹Pan American Center for Human Ecology and Health, Division of Health and Environment, Mexico City, Mexico

Abstract

As a result of the rapid industrialization of Latin America and the Caribbean during the second half of this century, exposure to lead has become an increasingly important problem. To obtain an estimate of the magnitude of lead exposure in the region, we carried out a survey and a literature search on potential sources of lead exposure and on blood lead concentrations. Sixteen out of 18 Latin American and 2 out of 10 Caribbean countries responded to the survey. Lead in gasoline remains a major problem, although the lead content has decreased in many countries in the last few years. The impact of leaded fuel is more important in urban settings, given their high vehicular density. Seventy-five percent of the population of the region lives in urban areas, and children younger then 15 years of age, the most susceptible group, comprise 30% of the population. Other sources of lead exposure identified in the region included industrial emissions, battery recycling, paint and varnishes, and contaminated food and water. Lead is recognized as a priority problem by national authorities in 72% of the countries that responded to the survey, and in 50% of the countries some legislation exists to regulate the lead content in certain products. However, compliance is low. There is an urgent need for a broad-based coalition between policy makers, industry, workers, unions, health care providers, and the community to take actions to reduce environmental and occupational lead exposures in all the Latin American and Caribbean countries. Key words: Caribbean, Latin America, lead, sources of exposure. Environ Health Perspect 105:398-405 (1997)

Address correspondence to I. Romieu, Pan American Center for Human Ecology and Health, PAHO/WHO, PO Box 37-473, 06696 Mexico, D.F. Mexico.

The authors wish to thank S. Baron, C. Aguilar,
G. Ricks, and I. Pérez Montfort for their editorial help in the preparation of this manuscript. This study was supported by the Pan American Health Organization, the National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA. M. Lacasana was supported by the Education and Science Council of the Generalitat Valenciana, Valencia, Spain.

Received 11 September 1996 ; accepted 8 January 1997.