A comprehensive analysis of children's blood lead levels in Latin America and the Caribbean over the last eight years: Progress and recommendations

• Published in: The Science of the total environment Vol. 928; p. 172372
• Main Authors: Pereira, Elizeu Chiodi, Piai, Kamila de Almeida, Salles, Fernanda Junqueira, Silva, Agnes Soares da, Olympio, Kelly Polido Kaneshiro
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 10-06-2024
• Subjects: Blood; Caribbean; Caribbean Region; Child; Child, Preschool; Children; Environmental Exposure - statistics & numerical data; Environmental Pollutants - blood; Humans; Infant; Latin America; Lead; Lead - blood; Prevalence; Public policies; Caribbean Region; Latin America; Lead; Children; Public policies; Caribbean; Blood; Latin America
• ISSN: 0048-9697; 1879-1026
• DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.172372

In 2017 we published a review on blood lead levels (BLL) in children from Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) for data available up to 14th of March 2014 and recommended the identification and control of “lead hot spots”. In the present study, an evaluation of progress toward reducing BLL in the region was carried out. A systematic review of the latest literature on lead exposure in the LAC region held on the PubMed, Web of Science and LILACS databases (January 2014 to March 2022) was conducted using the PRISMA methodology. Only original papers published in peer-reviewed English, Spanish, or Portuguese journals were eligible. A total of 558 papers were retrieved, 77 of which met the selection criteria and 31 (40.25 %) were carried out in Mexico. The prevalence of children with BLL above 10 μg. dL−1 was 22.08 % in the previous review versus 6.78 % in the current study. In the present review, the prevalence of children with BLL above 5 μg. dL−1 was 29.62 %, and only one study reported a BLL prevalence rate between 3.3 and 5 μg. dL−1. The highest BLLs were associated with well-known sources or occupational exposures. The number of countries (n = 13) that published data on BLL in children was lower compared to the previous review (n = 16). Most studies were conducted in areas with known lead exposure sources, similar to the earlier review. The percentage of children at risk of lead poisoning in the region remains unknown because few studies have published data on environmental exposure levels and most samples were relatively small. The recommendation to identify and control sources of lead exposure was maintained, while further suggestions for establishing a systematic public health surveillance system for lead were proposed to help reduce the knowledge gap and inform public health policy-making in LAC.
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•Population-based biomonitoring studies of lead are rare in Latin America and the Caribbean.•Between 2000 and 2014, 22.1 % of children had blood lead levels (BLL) exceeding 10 μg dL−1.•This prevalence decreased to 6.78 % in the current review between 2014 and 2022.•The highest BLLs were associated with well-known sources or occupational exposures.•Starting a systematic public health surveillance system for Pb in the region is crucial.