Childhood Lead Exposure from Battery Recycling in Vietnam
Table 1
Child blood lead levels relative to child and household characteristics.
Blood lead level
Signif. ()
10–29.9 g/dL
30–44.9 g/dL
≥45 g/dL
Child
Age (years)
0.008
0–2
10
28%
9
22%
12
38%
3–5
6
17%
13
32%
15
47%
6–10
20
56%
19
46%
5
16%
Sex (male)
13
36%
20
49%
18
56%
0.24
Symptoms
Abdominal pain
13
36%
14
35%
6
19%
0.22
Constipation
19
53%
17
43%
16
50%
0.65
“Other” health problems
15
42%
25
63%
15
47%
0.17
Physical size
Body mass index (BMI) (mean ± standard deviation)
15.4 ± 1.6
15.0 ± 1.8
15.5 ± 1.9
0.44
Height or length <5th percentile
Age 0–2 years
5
(50%)
4
(44%)
3
(25%)
0.15
Age 3–5 years
0
(0%)
4
(31%)
3
(20%)
0.30
Age 6–10 years
7
(35%)
9
(47%)
1
(20%)
0.48
Household lead recycling activities
Lead recycling at home
Never
29
81%
31
76%
25
78%
0.02
Past; not currently
7
19%
10
24%
3
9%
Currently
0
0%
0
0%
4
13%
Family involvement in recycling
Never
18
50%
5
12%
7
22%
0.002
Past; not currently
7
19%
10
24%
4
12%
Currently
11
31%
26
63%
21
66%
1 family member
8
(73%)
17
(65%)
12
(57%)
0.67
>1 family member
3
(27%)
9
(35%)
9
(43%)
Home environment
Distance to current or past recycling site
≤100 m to recycling facility
23
64%
25
61%
20
62%
0.97
≤100 m to burning of waste
12
33%
11
27%
4
13%
0.21
Battery casings at house (observed)
Used outside
14
39%
17
41%
18
56%
0.30
Used inside
17
47%
17
41%
14
44%
0.88
Floor surface
0.85
Soil
1
3%
2
5%
1
3%
Mats over bare soil
16
44%
19
46%
15
47%
Finished (brick, cement, and tile)
15
42%
14
34%
12
38%
Yard surface
0.07
Brick
17
47%
26
63%
22
69%
Cement
15
42%
9
22%
6
19%
Garden
17
47%
27
75%
20
56%
0.28
Blood lead level determined by fingerstick blood sample and LeadCare II test instrument. Significance of between-column differences via chi-square, Fisher exact test, or one-way ANOVA. Height (or length) analyzed relative to age- and sex-adjusted lower 5th percentile, US CDC child growth standards. Percentages in parentheses show percent of subset.
