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LEAD: Study Finds 11% Of Tijuana Children At Risk
About 11% of children in Tijuana, Mexico, have unhealthy amounts of lead in their blood, according to a three-year study by researchers at the University of California-Irvine. Lead poisoning can affect brain activity and motor skills, especially in young children.
The $600,000 study, which was funded primarily by the US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) and the US Centers for Disease Control,tested 1,719 children ranging in age from 18 months to 7 years in and around Tijuana. The study concluded that about 37,000 children out of a population of 344,000 probably have unhealthy lead levels, but only 0.1% are at a higher level requiring medical treatment. The rest could be helped if the sources of lead were removed from their environment. Jonathon Ericson, a UC-Irvine scientist who lead the study: "The good news is that 89% of the population [in Tijuana] is below the threshold level for lead poisoning."
The researchers said poorer children were more likely to have higher lead levels than those in a higher socioeconomic status. Most cases of lead poisoning originated from lead-glazed cookware and pets tracking lead-contaminated soil into living areas.
The US EPA sponsored the study because it hopes to reduce the number of US immigrants with lead poisoning. According to some estimates, nearly 30% of children living in Tijuana eventually relocate to the United States
Warren/Reza, Los Angeles Times, 15 Dec.