TY - JOUR
T1 - Childhood lead exposure in the Palestinian Authority, Israel, and Jordan
T2 - Results from the Middle Eastern Regional Cooperation Project, 1996-2000
AU - Safi, Jamal
AU - Fischbein, Alf
AU - El Haj, Sameer
AU - Sansour, Ramzi
AU - Jaghabir, Madi
AU - Abu Hashish, Mohammed
AU - Suleiman, Hassan
AU - Safi, Nimer
AU - Abu-Hamda, Abed
AU - Witt, Joyce K.
AU - Platkov, Efim
AU - Reingold, Steven
AU - Alayyan, Amber
AU - Berman, Tamar
AU - Bercovitch, Matti
AU - Choudhri, Yogesh
AU - Richter, Elihu D.
PY - 2006/6
Y1 - 2006/6
N2 - In the Middle East, the major sources of lead exposure have been leaded gasoline, lead-contaminated flour from traditional stone mills, focal exposures from small battery plants and smelters, and kohl (blue color) in cosmetics. In 1998-2000, we measured blood lead (PbB) levels in children 2-6 years of age in Israel, Jordan, and the Palestinian Authority (n = 1478), using a fingerstick method. Mean (peak; percentage > 10 μg/dL) PbB levels in Israel (n = 317), the West Bank (n = 344), Jordan (n = 382), and Gaza (n = 435) were 3.2 μg/dL (18.2; 2.2%), 4.2 μg/dL (25.7; 5.2%), 3.2 μg/dL (39.3; < 1%), and 8.6 μg/dL (> 80.0; 17.2%), respectively. High levels in Gaza were all among children living near a battery factory. The findings, taken together with data on time trends in lead emissions and in PbB in children in previous years, indicate the benefits from phasing out of leaded gasoline but state the case for further reductions and investigation of hot spots. The project demonstrated the benefits of regional cooperation in planning and carrying out a jointly designed project.
AB - In the Middle East, the major sources of lead exposure have been leaded gasoline, lead-contaminated flour from traditional stone mills, focal exposures from small battery plants and smelters, and kohl (blue color) in cosmetics. In 1998-2000, we measured blood lead (PbB) levels in children 2-6 years of age in Israel, Jordan, and the Palestinian Authority (n = 1478), using a fingerstick method. Mean (peak; percentage > 10 μg/dL) PbB levels in Israel (n = 317), the West Bank (n = 344), Jordan (n = 382), and Gaza (n = 435) were 3.2 μg/dL (18.2; 2.2%), 4.2 μg/dL (25.7; 5.2%), 3.2 μg/dL (39.3; < 1%), and 8.6 μg/dL (> 80.0; 17.2%), respectively. High levels in Gaza were all among children living near a battery factory. The findings, taken together with data on time trends in lead emissions and in PbB in children in previous years, indicate the benefits from phasing out of leaded gasoline but state the case for further reductions and investigation of hot spots. The project demonstrated the benefits of regional cooperation in planning and carrying out a jointly designed project.
KW - Ambient lead pollution
KW - Blood lead
KW - Childhood lead exposures
KW - Middle East regional project
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=33745041942&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1289/ehp.8339
DO - 10.1289/ehp.8339
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C2 - 16759995
AN - SCOPUS:33745041942
SN - 0091-6765
VL - 114
SP - 917
EP - 922
JO - Environmental Health Perspectives
JF - Environmental Health Perspectives
IS - 6
ER -
