Blood Lead Levels in Candy Sellers Working Near an International Road in Kocaeli, Turkey.

PUBLIC health; LEAD; CITY traffic; COMMUNICATIONS industries; URBAN transportation; AUTOMOTIVE transportation; TETRAETHYLLEAD; ORGANOLEAD compounds; LEAD compounds

The authors' purpose in this study was to examine the effects on health, as measured by blood lead levels (BLLs), of living and working near the D-100 international road, which passes through Kocaeli, Turkey. In this cross-sectional study, the authors examine BLLs in 3 groups to determine the health effects of exposure to motorized road transport. By comparing the 3 groups, the investigators found that the mean BLL was 4.23 ± 1.59 μg/dL in a group of candy sellers who worked beside the road, 4.18 ± 2.07 μg/dL in a group of city residents, and 3.82 ± 1.71 μg/dL in a group of village residents. (The latter 2 groups were not in close proximity to the road, and the authors used their measurements for comparison.) The difference in BLLs between the candy sellers and the village residents was statistically significant (p < .05). No significant difference in BLLs was determined between city and village residents or between candy sellers and city residents (p > .05). The authors recommend limiting the use of the D-100's city section to only local traffic and preventing heavy cargo vehicles from passing through. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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