Lead concentration in deciduous teeth from Danish school children

Abstract

Deciduous teeth were collected from school children in the first grade in six Danish municipalities; 2,033 teeth were received from 1,848 children. The geometric mean for the largest group (from Arhus) was 8.4 micrograms/g. The lead concentrations were similar in two Copenhagen suburbs with a secondary lead and a lead battery factory (geometric means, 9.6 and 9.9 micrograms/g, respectively). Increased lead concentrations were seen in children of low social class, in those whose fathers were automechanics or shipyard workers. Another part of the study showed that children residing in areas with heavy traffic also were at risk for increased lead retention. Thus, automobile exhausts and indirect occupational exposure appear to be important sources of lead retention in children, while a contribution from industrial emissions could not be detected.