Lead paint detection and child blood-lead levels in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: ABSTRACT Lead (Pb) paint still sold in Côte d’Ivoire represents a potential health risk for children in particular. To evaluate this risk, pregnant women were recruited and provided with (1) infographics on the risks of Pb exposure, (2) a kit to test paint for Pb at home, and (3) a survey of home paint for Pb using X-ray fluorescence (XRF). XRF readings for painted surfaces exceeded 100, 1,000, and 10,000 mg/kg for 275 (61%), 104 (23%) and 8 (2%) of a total of 454 spots also tested with the kit, averaging 1,100 mg/kg Pb. Kit results were negative for 99% of surfaces with paint XRF readings ≤100 mg/kg Pb and positive for 41% of surface XRF readings >100 mg/kg, with most discrepancies attributable to Pb paint covered by paint with little Pb. The widespread occurrence of surficial Pb paint in Abidjan is therefore detectable with a simple kit. Tap water samples were also collected but Pb concentrations were below 10 µg/L with only a few exceptions. Blood-lead level (BLL) measurements were obtained using the LeadCare II for a subset of households but an association between Pb concentrations in paint and BLLs could not be demonstrated. Median BLLs were 57.0 µg/L for 28 children and 44.0 µg/L for 45 adults. Median Pb concentrations of painted surfaces assessed by XRF were 336 mg/kg for children with BLL<100 µg/L and 1,258 mg/kg for children with BLL≥100 µg/L (p=0.56).
Language: English
Subfield: Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,340
OpenAlex ID: W7221694166