Blood lead level in school going children of Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India

Abstract

Abstract Objectives Lead exposure in children contributes to 600,000 new cases of intellectual disabilities every year with maximum occurrence in developing countries. Currently limited information is available on the blood lead level (BLL) in children of India. The aim was to estimate BLL in the school going children of local population of Jodhpur. Methods Four hundred twenty-six primary school children of government and private schools participated in this cross sectional study. Information regarding possible lead exposure was collected. BLL was estimated on Lead Care II analyser (Magellan Diagnostics, USA). Results The mean and median BLL were 4.25 ± 1.75 μg/dL (<3.3–22.6 μg/dL) and 3.5 μg/dL (Inter Quartile Range 0.9). BLL was higher in children of illiterate mothers, those residing near traffic dense areas, urban region and studying in government schools of urban region. Conclusions BLL in children residing in Jodhpur is much higher in comparison to western counterparts. Screening and awareness programs regarding potential sources of lead exposure can help in improving BLL.