Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

In children, lead can cause serious permanent damage as a neurotoxicant. The objectives of the study were to evaluate potential exposure to lead-based paint in family housing units at a typical U.S. military installation and determine blood lead (PbB) levels in children ages 6 years or younger residing in these housing units.

METHODS:

The authors conducted a risk assessment of 1,723 housing units and occupants at Fort Devens in Massachusetts. Data from the military dependent cohort was compared to estimates for the U.S. national population as reported from Phase 1 of the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III).

RESULTS:

A total of 1992 individuals (1,009 males and 983 females) were screened for PbB, stratified into age groups, and separated into racial/ethnic categories. Four (0.3%) dust samples and 59 (11.6%) internal and 298 (77.8%) external paint chip samples contained hazardous levels of lead. The geometric mean PbB concentration for people ages 1 year and older reported by NHANES III was 2.8 micro g/dL, compared with 1.5 microg/dL for the military installation cohort (p<0.0001). PbB levels were higher for males than for females and higher for blacks than whites 6 years of age and older. Hispanics had lower PbB concentrations for all age groups except for those ages 1-2.9 years. Prevalence of PbB levels >10 microg/dL for all age groups was 1.6% in the military cohort, compared with 4.5% for the general population. For ages 1-2.9 years, no blacks or Hispanics and 0.6% of whites had PbB levels >10 micro g/dL, compared with 21.6% of blacks, 10.1% of Hispanics, and 8.5% of whites for the general population. For ages 3-5.99 years, 0.15% of blacks, 0% of Hispanics, and 0.3% of whites had PbB levels > or = 10 microg/dL, compared with 20.0% of blacks, 6.8% of Hispanics, and 3.7% of whites for the general population.

CONCLUSION:

Lead exposure for occupants of on-post military housing is much less than for those residing in the civilian sector.