[Decision tools for selecting industrial sites where a systematic blood lead screening should be implemented].

Abstract

International audienceBACKGROUND: Children exposure to lead, even at low doses, can induce neurobehavioral and cognitive effects. In France, a consensus conference about lead poisoning in children has recently stated that exposure near an industrial site was a priority for blood lead screening. Selection criteria for industrial sites have therefore to be defined, especially because screening for lead poisoning requires a blood lead sample, that is an invasive procedure. METHODS: We propose here an operational procedure to select sites where systematic blood lead screenings have to be implemented. It is based on modeling blood lead levels of children aged 1-6 years. This is made by indirect dose estimation from environmental measurements, human exposure parameters and a dose/blood lead level relationship. Decision criteria are based on mean and extreme predicted blood lead level. The procedure is illustrated with a real life smelter case study. RESULTS: For the studied smelter, estimated blood lead levels are less than 100 microg(Pb)/l(blood) and therefore do not lead to recommend a systematic blood lead screening. CONCLUSIONS: Indirect dose estimation associated with blood lead level modeling is a useful tool for selecting where blood lead screenings have to be implemented around industrial sites. Possible improvements of the method are listed