Lead concentrations in whole blood, serum, saliva and house dust in samples collected at two time points (12 months apart) in Santo Amaro, BA, Brazil.

Unlabelled: Whole Blood Lead Level (BLL) is the main marker used to verify lead contamination. The present study explores how BLL is associated with lead concentrations in serum, saliva and house dust. Samples were collected twice from Santo Amaro, BA, Brazil, a region that was contaminated by a lead smelter in the past; a time interval of 12 months was allowed between the two collections.

A study of the routes of contamination by lead and cadmium in Santo Amaro, Brazil: a response to the comments of Andrade Lima.

This text is part of the discussion about the case of contamination by heavy metals in Santo Amaro, Brazil and the routes of contamination still active in the city. It is presented the point of view of the authors about the questions raised in the text of Prof. Andrade Pinho, presented in this journal issue, as well as the replies considered pertinent by the authors.

A study of the routes of contamination by lead and cadmium in Santo Amaro, Brazil.

The problem of contamination by cadmium and lead in Santo Amaro, Brazil, has been studied since 1970 and the severity of this contamination case has been demonstrated by many authors. This study evaluates the persistence of the superficial soil contamination around the metallurgical plant and attempts to correlate the lead and cadmium concentrations to the past atmospheric emissions from the lead plant and with the presence of lead debris under urban road surface and in the backyards of homes. Past emissions still play an important role in soil contamination.