Epidemiologic study of lead contamination of children of occupationally exposed parents

International audienceBACKGROUND: As part of the screening of infantile saturnism in France, a cross sectional study has been conducted among 125 children with professionally lead exposed parents, working in two plants, both located at the edge of a rural village. The aim of this study was to seek a lead contamination of these children by their own parents, who may bring back home after work lead particles on their clothes, hair or skin. METHODS: These children were compared for blood lead levels by logistic regression to a reference group made of forty seven nursery school children, in these villages, without any lead exposed parents. Blood lead levels (\\textless or \\textgreater or = 70 micrograms/l) were performed for both children group and compared by logistic regression. Moreover parent's blood lead levels (\\textless or = or \\textgreater 400 micrograms/l) and lead air concentrations measured at their own working places (\\textless or = or \\textgreater 100 micrograms/m3, available from occupational health services) were also compared to their children blood lead levels. RESULTS: Blood lead levels in the "exposed group" were significantly higher than in the control group (OR = 9.9 [3.6-27.3]), all the more so as there were several exposed people in children home. In the exposed group, children blood lead levels were both correlated with parents blood lead levels (OR = 8.3 [2.9-24.0]) and lead air concentration measured at their working places (OR = 4.2 [1.6-10.9]). CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest a lead contamination of children by their exposed parents, which made it necessary to strengthen individual and collective lead prevention measures in both plants