Lead in Air in Bangladesh: Exposure in a Rural Community with Elevated Blood Lead Concentrations among Young Children

May K. Woo, Elisabeth S. Young, Md Golam Mostofa, Sakila Afroz, Md Omar Sharif Ibne Hasan, Quazi Quamruzzaman, David C. Bellinger, David C. Christiani and Maitreyi Mazumdar
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May K. Woo: Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA
Elisabeth S. Young: Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA
Md Golam Mostofa: Dhaka Community Hospital, Dhaka 1217, Bangladesh
Sakila Afroz: Dhaka Community Hospital, Dhaka 1217, Bangladesh
Md Omar Sharif Ibne Hasan: Dhaka Community Hospital, Dhaka 1217, Bangladesh
Quazi Quamruzzaman: Dhaka Community Hospital, Dhaka 1217, Bangladesh
David C. Bellinger: Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA
David C. Christiani: Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA
Maitreyi Mazumdar: Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA

IJERPH, 2018, vol. 15, issue 9, 1-14

Abstract: Previous evaluations of a birth cohort in the Munshiganj District of Bangladesh had found that over 85% of 397 children aged 2–3 years had blood lead concentrations above the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s reference level of 5 μg/dL. Studies in urban areas of Bangladesh have found elevated levels of lead in the air due to industries and remaining contamination from the historic use of leaded gasoline. Sources of lead in rural areas of Bangladesh remain unknown. We conducted air sampling in both residential and industrial sites in Munshiganj to determine whether children are exposed to elevated lead concentrations in the air and study the association between the children’s blood lead levels and sampled air lead concentrations. Residential and industrial air samples in Munshiganj were found to have elevated lead concentrations (mean 1.22 μg/m 3 ) but were not found to be associated with the observed blood lead concentrations. Lead in air is an important environmental health exposure risk to the for children in Munshiganj, and further research may shed light on specific sources to inform exposure prevention and mitigation programs.

Keywords: lead; exposure; Bangladesh; air pollution (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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