High blood lead levels of children in a gold mining community in Osun State, Nigeria: an urgent call for action.

Background: Environmental exposure from artisanal gold mining activities is a major risk for high blood lead levels (BLLs) in children. Over the last decade, artisanal gold mining activities have been on a sharp increase in some parts of Nigeria. This study compared BLLs of children in the mining community of Itagunmodi and a 50-km distant non-mining community of Imesi-Ile, Osun State, Nigeria.

Methods: This community-based study investigated 234 apparently healthy children, with 117 each from Itagunmodi and Imesi-Ile. Relevant history, examination and laboratory findings including BLLs were recorded and analysed.

Results: All participants had BLLs above the cut-off value of 5 µg/dl. However, the mean BLL of subjects living in the gold-mining community (24.2±5.3 µg/dl) was significantly higher than for children in the non-mining area of Imesi-Ile (19.5±6.4 µg/dl; p<0.001). Children in the gold mining community were 3.07 times more likely to have a BLL ≥20 µg/dl than those in the non-mining environment (odds ratio [OR] 3.07 [95% confidence interval {CI} 1.79 to 5.2], p<0.001). Similarly, the odds of having a BLL ≥30 µg/dl was 7.84 times more likely among children living in gold mining Itagunmodi than in Imesi-Ile (OR 7.84 [95% CI 2.32 to 26.46], p<0.0001). BLL was not associated with socio-economic and nutritional status of the participants.

Conclusions: In addition to introduction and enforcement of safe mining practices, regular screening for lead toxicity is advocated for children in these communities.