Estimating Children's Soil/Dust Ingestion Rates Through Retrospective Analyses of Blood Lead Biomonitoring from the Bunker Hill Superfund Site in Idaho

Overview

Journal Environ Health Perspect

Date 2016 Jan 9

PMID 26745545

Citations 26

Authors

Ian von Lindern

Susan Spalinger

Marc L Stifelman

Lindsay Wichers Stanek

Casey Bartrem

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Soil/dust ingestion rates are important variables in assessing children's health risks in contaminated environments. Current estimates are based largely on soil tracer methodology, which is limited by analytical uncertainty, small sample size, and short study duration.

Objectives: The objective was to estimate site-specific soil/dust ingestion rates through reevaluation of the lead absorption dose-response relationship using new bioavailability data from the Bunker Hill Mining and Metallurgical Complex Superfund Site (BHSS) in Idaho, USA.

Methods: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in vitro bioavailability methodology was applied to archived BHSS soil and dust samples. Using age-specific biokinetic slope factors, we related bioavailable lead from these sources to children's blood lead levels (BLLs) monitored during cleanup from 1988 through 2002. Quantitative regression analyses and exposure assessment guidance were used to develop candidate soil/dust source partition scenarios estimating lead intake, allowing estimation of age-specific soil/dust ingestion rates. These ingestion rate and bioavailability estimates were simultaneously applied to the U.S. EPA Integrated Exposure Uptake Biokinetic Model for Lead in Children to determine those combinations best approximating observed BLLs.

Results: Absolute soil and house dust bioavailability averaged 33% (SD ± 4%) and 28% (SD ± 6%), respectively. Estimated BHSS age-specific soil/dust ingestion rates are 86-94 mg/day for 6-month- to 2-year-old children and 51-67 mg/day for 2- to 9-year-old children.

Conclusions: Soil/dust ingestion rate estimates for 1- to 9-year-old children at the BHSS are lower than those commonly used in human health risk assessment. A substantial component of children's exposure comes from sources beyond the immediate home environment.

Citation: von Lindern I, Spalinger S, Stifelman ML, Stanek LW, Bartrem C. 2016. Estimating children's soil/dust ingestion rates through retrospective analyses of blood lead biomonitoring from the Bunker Hill Superfund Site in Idaho. Environ Health Perspect 124:1462-1470; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1510144.

Citing Articles

Methodologies for the collection of parameters to estimate dust/soil ingestion for young children.

Ferguson A, Adelabu F, Solo-Gabriele H, Obeng-Gyasi E, Fayad-Martinez C, Gidley M Front Public Health. 2024; 12:1357346.

PMID: 38989126 PMC: 11234889. DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1357346.

Children's lead exposure in the U.S.: Application of a national-scale, probabilistic aggregate model with a focus on residential soil and dust lead (Pb) scenarios.

Zartarian V, Xue J, Gibb-Snyder E, Frank J, Tornero-Velez R, Stanek L Sci Total Environ. 2023; 905:167132.

PMID: 37730047 PMC: 11512727. DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.167132.

Lead exposure in childhood and historical land use: a geostatistical analysis of soil lead concentrations in South Philadelphia parks.

Gandolff R Environ Monit Assess. 2023; 195(3):356.

PMID: 36732369 PMC: 9894736. DOI: 10.1007/s10661-022-10871-6.

Ca Minerals and Oral Bioavailability of Pb, Cd, and As from Indoor Dust in Mice: Mechanisms and Health Implications.

Li H, Xue R, Chen X, Lin X, Shi X, Du H Environ Health Perspect. 2022; 130(12):127004.

PMID: 36541774 PMC: 9769408. DOI: 10.1289/EHP11730.

Evaluation of the integrated exposure uptake biokinetic (IEUBK) model for lead in children.

Brown J, Spalinger S, Weppner S, Hicks K, Thorhaug M, Thayer W J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol. 2022; 33(2):187-197.

PMID: 36123530 PMC: 10150374. DOI: 10.1038/s41370-022-00473-2.

References

Lanphear B, Succop P, Roda S, Henningsen G . The effect of soil abatement on blood lead levels in children living near a former smelting and milling operation. Public Health Rep. 2003; 118(2):83-91. PMC: 1497522. DOI: 10.1093/phr/118.2.83. View

Maddaloni M, Lolacono N, Manton W, Blum C, DREXLER J, Graziano J . Bioavailability of soilborne lead in adults, by stable isotope dilution. Environ Health Perspect. 1998; 106 Suppl 6:1589-94. PMC: 1533442. DOI: 10.1289/ehp.98106s61589. View

Yankel A, von Lindern I, Walter S . The Silver Valley lead study: the relationship between childhood blood lead levels and environmental exposure. J Air Pollut Control Assoc. 1977; 27(8):763-7. DOI: 10.1080/00022470.1977.10470488. View

von Lindern I, Spalinger S, Bero B, Petrosyan V, von Braun M . The influence of soil remediation on lead in house dust. Sci Total Environ. 2003; 303(1-2):59-78. DOI: 10.1016/s0048-9697(02)00356-x. View

Ruby M, Lowney Y . Selective soil particle adherence to hands: implications for understanding oral exposure to soil contaminants. Environ Sci Technol. 2012; 46(23):12759-71. DOI: 10.1021/es302473q. View

Landrigan P, Gehlbach S, ROSENBLUM B, Shoults J, Candelaria R, BARTHEL W . Epidemic lead absorption near an ore smelter. The role of particulate lead. N Engl J Med. 1975; 292(3):123-9. DOI: 10.1056/NEJM197501162920302. View

. Blood lead levels in children aged 1-5 years - United States, 1999-2010. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2013; 62(13):245-8. PMC: 4605011. View

Doyle J, Blais J, White P . Mass balance soil ingestion estimating methods and their application to inhabitants of rural and wilderness areas: a critical review. Sci Total Environ. 2010; 408(10):2181-8. DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2010.02.007. View

Zahran S, Mielke H, McElmurry S, Filippelli G, Laidlaw M, Taylor M . Determining the relative importance of soil sample locations to predict risk of child lead exposure. Environ Int. 2013; 60:7-14. DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2013.07.004. View

10.

Moya J, Phillips L . A review of soil and dust ingestion studies for children. J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol. 2014; 24(6):545-54. DOI: 10.1038/jes.2014.17. View

11.

Stanek Iii E, Calabrese E, Xu B . Meta-analysis of mass-balance studies of soil ingestion in children. Risk Anal. 2011; 32(3):433-47. DOI: 10.1111/j.1539-6924.2011.01673.x. View

12.

Lanphear B, Matte T, Rogers J, Clickner R, Dietz B, Bornschein R . The contribution of lead-contaminated house dust and residential soil to children's blood lead levels. A pooled analysis of 12 epidemiologic studies. Environ Res. 1998; 79(1):51-68. DOI: 10.1006/enrs.1998.3859. View

13.

von Lindern I, Spalinger S, Petroysan V, von Braun M . Assessing remedial effectiveness through the blood lead:soil/dust lead relationship at the Bunker Hill Superfund Site in the Silver Valley of Idaho. Sci Total Environ. 2003; 303(1-2):139-70. DOI: 10.1016/s0048-9697(02)00352-2. View

14.

Laidlaw M, Zahran S, Pingitore N, Clague J, Devlin G, Taylor M . Identification of lead sources in residential environments: Sydney Australia. Environ Pollut. 2013; 184:238-46. DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2013.09.003. View

15.

Sedman R, Mahmood R . Soil ingestion by children and adults reconsidered using the results of recent tracer studies. Air Waste. 1994; 44(2):141-4. DOI: 10.1080/1073161x.1994.10467242. View

16.

Ozkaynak H, Xue J, Zartarian V, Glen G, Smith L . Modeled estimates of soil and dust ingestion rates for children. Risk Anal. 2010; 31(4):592-608. DOI: 10.1111/j.1539-6924.2010.01524.x. View

17.

Zahran S, Laidlaw M, McElmurry S, Filippelli G, Taylor M . Linking source and effect: resuspended soil lead, air lead, and children's blood lead levels in Detroit, Michigan. Environ Sci Technol. 2013; 47(6):2839-45. DOI: 10.1021/es303854c. View

18.

Kneip T, Mallon R, Harley N . Biokinetic modelling for mammalian lead metabolism. Neurotoxicology. 1983; 4(3):189-92. View