TY - JOUR
T1 - Outbreak of fatal childhood lead poisoning related to artisanal gold mining in northwestern Nigeria, 2010
AU - Dooyema, Carrie A.
AU - Neri, Antonio
AU - Lo, Yi Chun
AU - Durant, James
AU - Dargan, Paul I.
AU - Swarthout, Todd
AU - Biya, Oladayo
AU - Gidado, Saheed O.
AU - Haladu, Suleiman
AU - Sani-Gwarzo, Nasir
AU - Nguku, Patrick M.
AU - Akpan, Henry
AU - Idris, Sa'ad
AU - Bashir, Abdullahi M.
AU - Brown, Mary Jean
PY - 2012/4
Y1 - 2012/4
N2 - Background: In May 2010, a team of national and international organizations was assembled to investigate children's deaths due to lead poisoning in villages in northwestern Nigeria. Objectives: Our goal was to determine the cause of the childhood lead poisoning outbreak, investigate risk factors for child mortality, and identify children < 5 years of age in need of emergency chelation therapy for lead poisoning. Methods: We administered a cross-sectional, door-to-door questionnaire in two affected villages, collected blood from children 2-59 months of age, and obtained soil samples from family compounds. Descriptive and bivariate analyses were performed with survey, blood lead, and environmental data. Multivariate logistic regression techniques were used to determine risk factors for childhood mortality. Results: We surveyed 119 family compounds. Of 463 children < 5 years of age, 118 (25%) had died in the previous year. We tested 59% (204/345) of children < 5 years of age, and all were lead poisoned (≥ 10 μg/dL); 97% (198/204) of children had blood lead levels (BLLs) ≥ 45 μg/dL, the threshold for initiating chelation therapy. Gold ore was processed inside two-thirds of the family compounds surveyed. In multivariate modeling, significant risk factors for death in the previous year from suspected lead poisoning included the age of the child, the mother's work at ore-processing activities, community well as primary water source, and the soil lead concentration in the compound. Conclusion: The high levels of environmental contamination, percentage of children < 5 years of age with elevated BLLs (97%, > 45 μg/dL), and incidence of convulsions among children before death (82%) suggest that most of the recent childhood deaths in the two surveyed villages were caused by acute lead poisoning from gold ore-processing activities. Control measures included environmental remediation, chelation therapy, public health education, and control of mining activities.
AB - Background: In May 2010, a team of national and international organizations was assembled to investigate children's deaths due to lead poisoning in villages in northwestern Nigeria. Objectives: Our goal was to determine the cause of the childhood lead poisoning outbreak, investigate risk factors for child mortality, and identify children < 5 years of age in need of emergency chelation therapy for lead poisoning. Methods: We administered a cross-sectional, door-to-door questionnaire in two affected villages, collected blood from children 2-59 months of age, and obtained soil samples from family compounds. Descriptive and bivariate analyses were performed with survey, blood lead, and environmental data. Multivariate logistic regression techniques were used to determine risk factors for childhood mortality. Results: We surveyed 119 family compounds. Of 463 children < 5 years of age, 118 (25%) had died in the previous year. We tested 59% (204/345) of children < 5 years of age, and all were lead poisoned (≥ 10 μg/dL); 97% (198/204) of children had blood lead levels (BLLs) ≥ 45 μg/dL, the threshold for initiating chelation therapy. Gold ore was processed inside two-thirds of the family compounds surveyed. In multivariate modeling, significant risk factors for death in the previous year from suspected lead poisoning included the age of the child, the mother's work at ore-processing activities, community well as primary water source, and the soil lead concentration in the compound. Conclusion: The high levels of environmental contamination, percentage of children < 5 years of age with elevated BLLs (97%, > 45 μg/dL), and incidence of convulsions among children before death (82%) suggest that most of the recent childhood deaths in the two surveyed villages were caused by acute lead poisoning from gold ore-processing activities. Control measures included environmental remediation, chelation therapy, public health education, and control of mining activities.
KW - Artisanal gold mining
KW - Childhood
KW - Environmental health
KW - Lead poisoning
KW - Nervous system
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84859343473&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1289/ehp.1103965
DO - 10.1289/ehp.1103965
M3 - Article
C2 - 22186192
AN - SCOPUS:84859343473
SN - 0091-6765
VL - 120
SP - 601
EP - 607
JO - Environmental Health Perspectives
JF - Environmental Health Perspectives
IS - 4
ER -