Lead found in children’s teeth

Press, 1 April 1980, Page 1

Lead found in children’s teeth

' High lead content in the, air has affected Christchurch children’s teeth, according to a survey. Dr J. E. Fergusson, a reader in chemistry at the University of Canterbury, has supervised a survey which shows that children living in the older industrial areas of Christchurch have higher levels of lead in their teeth. Dr Fergusson surveyed 282 children at 12 Christchurch primary schools and found that there was a significant difference between the lead content in the? first teeth of children

... living in old industrial areas from those living in the new suburbs. The children in the industrial areas showed the lead content at 8 p.p.m. (parts per million) in their teeth, while children living in the nonindustrial areas showed lead content at 5.5 p.p.m. Six of the, children had levels above .20 p.p.m. Dr Fergusson said that the best work done on lead levels had shown that anything above 20 p.p.m. was high. Lead was a neurotoxin, meaning that high levels of lead could damage the

nervous system and lead to brain damage, said Dr Fergusson. He could not say whether the amount Christchurch children were subjected to would damage their brains, but DC Fergusson said that it was fair to assume that any amount of lead was detrimental in some way. The levels found in Christchurch were not any higher than in comparable cities overseas. Dr Fergusson said parents should be more aware of the dangers of exposing their children to lead in gardens or in peeling paint.

Several cases of lead poisoning in children had been reported in Christchurch over the last few years, but all of the-cases had been in children suffering from “pica,” the urge to put things in their mouths, such as dir( or lead-based paint During his survey, Dr Fergusson found that hreas /of Riccarton Road and • Bealey Avenue had levels of lead from car emissions anywhere from 2000 p.p.m. to 4000 p.p.m. greater than what was considered normal. i Shopping areas and traf-

fic lights were the most likely places for high lead concentration in the air; levels rose sharply neartraffic lights. Dr Fergusson suggested that roundabouts would help lessen the problem because cars would hot have to stop or' accelerate as much. Bicycle .riders had more lead’in their hair/Dr Fe.r-; gusson found. . With“the help .of-local hairdressers, he examined 203 hair' specimens, and found that housewives had considerably lower, lead levels than either students or people who workedL outdoors.