Blood lead levels in children in Jamaican basic schools.

Blood lead levels (BLL) for 285 children, three to six years old, from seven basic schools located in known areas of anthropogenic pollution, and in urban and rural areas are reported. The samples were obtained by the finger-prick method and analyzed for lead by anodic stripping voltammetry. The majority of the children had blood lead levels below the now accepted limit of 10 micrograms dL-1 and there was no indication of cases that would represent medical emergencies. The present results show considerable improvement in the BLLs of children living in contaminated sites indicating the effectiveness of the previous remediation steps. Follow-up intervention work is in progress for cases of blood lead levels in excess of the recommended limit.