Estimation of urinary δ Aminolevulinic Acid Levels (δ-ALA) in children of age group 1 to 5 years as an index of lead exposure

Background: Lead poisoning is very much common in India and has significant negative impact on general health of children. Lead inhibits necessary enzymes required for heme synthesis, this results in increased levels of delta aminolevulinic acid excretion through urine. Objective: To find out the prevalence of lead poisoning among the age group 1 to 5 years, in a suburban Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. Methods: This is cross-sectional pilot study in Mumbai suburban localities. The study was done on 60 randomly chosen children of age group 1 to 5 years with their brief history related with lead exposure. Their urine samples were analyzed for δ ALA by Ehrlich method. Results: According to our observation it was found that out of 60 urine samples 20 samples have urinary δ-ALA levels below 0.2 mg/dl, while 40 samples showed increased urinary δ-ALA levels. Prevalence of lead exposure among our study population is 66.66% hence lead exposure is a serious public health issue. Conclusion: we conclude that there is high prevalence of lead exposure in Mumbai and necessary precautions to be taken to avoid it