Assessing Levels of Lead Contamination in Soil and Predicting Pediatric Blood Lead Levels in Tema, Ghana

Background. Tema, Ghana’s main industrial city, has many areas that are suspected to be contaminated by lead. Elevated lead levels can affect, among many other issues, mental development, kidney function and blood chemistry. Children are particularly at risk. Objectives. The objective of this study was to determine the concentration of lead in soil from selected sites in Tema and how these levels relate to local pediatric blood lead predictions. Methods. A total of 47 surface soil samples were taken from 9 different sites. Energy dispersive X-ray technique was employed to determine the levels... Mehr ...