Elevated Blood Lead Concentrations in Children Living in Isolated Communities of the Kola Peninsula, Russia

ABSTRACT Lead levels were determined in children aged 5–14 in three communities: two groups ( N = 24 and 39) from Apatity, an industrial city; a group ( N = 47) from Lowozero, an isolated Saami village; and another ( N = 14) from Krashnochelie, a remote native village with Sami, Komi, and Nenets populations. As in the northwestern James Bay region of Canada, unexpectedly high blood lead concentrations were found in the most isolated community, namely Krashnochelie. The median lead concentration in Krashnochelie was significantly higher ( p < 0.01 or p < 0.02) than those for the other village and city. In the Krashnochelie group, the lead levels were not gender dependent. The percentage of children with blood lead concentrations at or above the medical concern level of 0.48 μmol/l was highest (36%) in Krashnochelie, compared to 8% in Apatity and 6% in Lowozero. All but two of the 124 individuals tested had ferritin concentrations above that indicative of depleted iron stores (10 μg/l for age <14 years); the median ferritin values were comparable for all four communities. Iron status differences can therefore not explain the elevation of blood lead concentrations in the Krashnochelie group. A number of explanations are provided to account for the implied differences in lead exposure in the four study groups.