Lead exposure in an urban community: investigation of risk factors and assessment of the impact of lead abatement measures.

Introduction: A battery recycling plant located in an urbanized area contaminated the environment with lead oxides. The Secretary of Environment of the State of São Paulo demanded an evaluation of lead exposure among the population in the vicinity of the plant.

Objectives: To assess the lead exposure of children, to propose control measures and evaluate the impact of these measures.

[Lead poisoning and child health: integrated efforts to combat this problem].

An epidemiological survey was carried out by technicians of the State Health Secretary and the Municipal Health Secretary of Bauru, São Paulo, Brazil, due to excessive atmospheric lead emissions caused by a battery manufacturer. This survey included 853 children from 0 to 12 years old, in a 1,000-meter area from the polluting source, in Bauru (2002). The blood lead levels of children in the exposed group were higher than those in the control group (p < 0.