Exploring the potential environmental sources and associations of childhood lead posioning

This article examines the associations between multiple sources of childhood lead contamination in a built-up urban environment. The specific objectives are (a) identifying the geographic patterns and variations in elevated blood lead incidences with the use of health screening records; (b) exploring possible associations between elevated blood lead levels and the socioeconomic and demographic characteristics of the population; (c) evaluating the relationships between childhood lead contamination and external indicators of environmental lead, including soil and municipal water quality, housing stock, transportation corridors, and commerical facilities dealing with leaded gasoline on a daily basis (such as service stations, automobile repairs shops and dealerships); and (d) identifying high-risk areas that require further analysis possibly environmental remediation.