Assessing Children's Lead and Arsenic Exposure in Two Rural Arizona Communities near a Copper Smelter

摘要

Background: ATSDR investigated lead and arsenic exposures in Hayden and Winkelman, Arizona, the site of historic and ongoing copper smelter operations. Lead and arsenic concentrations in air and non-residential soils had been found above background levels. Residents requested biological testing to address concerns about their exposure to lead and arsenic in the environment. Methods: In 2015, ATSDR administered a questionnaire and tested venous blood lead and spot urine arsenic concentrations in a convenience (i.e. volunteer) sample of 83 residents from 29 households. Participants included children, adolescents, and women of childbearing age (20-40 years). We evaluated local air monitoring data for 2015. Results: Of 54 children age 1 -11 years, 2 had blood lead levels (BLLs) above the CDC reference level of 5 micrograms per deciliter (μg/dL). Another two children 1-5 years had BLLs between 4-5 μg/dL. The median BLLs for children and adolescents tested were about two times higher than median BLLs reported in the National Health and Nutritious Examination Survey (NHANES). Median total and inorganic arsenic levels (creatinine corrected) for participants were similar to NHANES median levels. The smelter was shut down for maintenance when we collected blood and urine samples. During the shutdown, levels of lead and arsenic in air were about seven and eight times lower, respectively than other times in 2015. Conclusions: Children and adolescent participants had higher BLLs than the U.S population, putting them at increased risk for neurological, cognitive, and attention related behavioral effects. Since arsenic has a short half-life in the body, the lower levels of arsenic in air during the testing may have affected participants' urinary arsenic levels. ATSDR is planning to retest urinary arsenic at a time when the smelter is operating normally. ATSDR recommended several steps government, industry, and community members can take to reduce lead and arsenic exposures.