Screening for Elevated Blood Lead Levels in Children: Assessment of Criteria and a Proposal for New Ones in France.

The decline in children's Blood Lead Levels (BLL) raises questions about the ability of current lead poisoning screening criteria to identify those children most exposed. The objectives of the study were to evaluate the performance of current screening criteria in identifying children with blood lead levels higher than 50 µg/L in France, and to propose new criteria. Data from a national French survey, conducted among 3831 children aged 6 months to 6 years in 2008-2009 were used.

Environmental determinants of different blood lead levels in children: a quantile analysis from a nationwide survey.

Blood lead levels (BLLs) have substantially decreased in recent decades in children in France. However, further reducing exposure is a public health goal because there is no clear toxicological threshold. The identification of the environmental determinants of BLLs as well as risk factors associated with high BLLs is important to update prevention strategies.

Blood lead levels and risk factors in young children in France, 2008-2009.

Background: The exposure of children to lead has decreased in recent years, thanks notably to the banning of leaded gasoline. However, lead exposure remains a matter of public health concern, because no toxicity threshold has been observed, cognitive effects having been demonstrated even at low levels. It is therefore important to update exposure assessments.

Lead contamination in French children's homes and environment.

Lead in homes is a well-known source of childhood lead exposure, which is still of concern due to the health effects of low lead doses. This study aims to describe lead contamination in the homes of children aged 6 months to 6 years in France (without overseas). Between October 2008 and August 2009, 484 housing units were investigated.

The impact of heat islands on mortality in Paris during the August 2003 heat wave.

Background: Heat waves have a drastic impact on urban populations, which could increase with climate change.

Objectives: We evaluated new indicators of elderly people's exposure to heat in Paris, from a public health prevention perspective, using satellite thermal images.

Methods: We used a time series of 61 images from the satellites of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) taken from 1 to 13 August 2003 to produce thermal indicators of minimum, maximum, and mean surface temperatures and diurnal temperature amplitude, with different lags between the meteorological data and the health impact.

Blood lead levels in the adult population living in France the French Nutrition and Health Survey (ENNS 2006-2007).

Background: The French Nutrition and Health Survey (ENNS) was conducted in order to describe food consumption and levels of various biomarkers in the general population. In this paper, we aimed to assess the distribution of blood lead levels (BLL) in the adult population living in France.

Method: ENNS was a cross-sectional survey carried out in the general population.

[The practitioner's role in surveillance and information on environmental risks].

Health scares have entailed an increasing concern about environmental risks for populations. Authorities' response was to set up a system for the analysis, surveillance and management of environmental risks. Practitioners have an important role to play in this system, as primary actors of surveillance and as a close source of information about the environmental risks for the population.