Elevated Blood Lead Levels in Infants and Mothers in Benin and Potential Sources of Exposure

Florence Bodeau-Livinec, Philippe Glorennec, Michel Cot, Pierre Dumas, Séverine Durand, Achille Massougbodji, Pierre Ayotte and Barbara Le Bot
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Florence Bodeau-Livinec: Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Santé Publique, 35043 Rennes, France
Philippe Glorennec: Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Santé Publique, 35043 Rennes, France
Michel Cot: Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), Mère et Enfant Face aux Infections Tropicales, 75006 Paris, France
Pierre Dumas: Laboratoire de Toxicologie, Institut National de Santé Publique du Québec, Québec, QC G1V 5B3, Canada
Séverine Durand: Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Santé Publique, 35043 Rennes, France
Achille Massougbodji: Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Santé Publique, 35043 Rennes, France
Pierre Ayotte: Laboratoire de Toxicologie, Institut National de Santé Publique du Québec, Québec, QC G1V 5B3, Canada
Barbara Le Bot: Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Santé Publique, 35043 Rennes, France

IJERPH, 2016, vol. 13, issue 3, 1-14

Abstract: Lead in childhood is well known to be associated with poor neurodevelopment. As part of a study on maternal anemia and offspring neurodevelopment, we analyzed blood lead level (BLL) with no prior knowledge of lead exposure in 225 mothers and 685 offspring 1 to 2 years old from Allada, a semi-rural area in Benin, sub-Saharan Africa, between May 2011 and May 2013. Blood samples were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Environmental assessments in households and isotopic ratio measurements were performed for eight children with BLL > 100 µg/L. High lead levels (BLL > 50 µg/L) were found in 44% of mothers and 58% of children. The median BLL was 55.1 (interquartile range 39.2–85.0) and 46.6 (36.5–60.1) µg/L, respectively. Maternal BLL was associated with offspring’s consumption of piped water and animals killed by ammunition. Children’s BLL was associated with presence of paint chips in the house and consumption of animals killed by ammunition. In this population, with 98% of children still breastfed, children’s BLL was highly associated with maternal BLL on multivariate analyses. Environmental measures and isotopic ratios supported these findings. Offspring may be highly exposed to lead in utero and probably via breastfeeding in addition to lead paint exposure.

Keywords: lead exposure; sources; child; sub-Saharan Africa; Lead Isotopic Ratios (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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