Margaret A. Handley ^1*, Celeste Hall ², Eric Sanford ², Evie Diaz ², Enrique Gonzalez-Mendez ¹, Kaitie Drace ¹, Robert Wilson ¹, Mario Villalobos ³, Mary Croughan ⁴

¹ University of California San Francisco
² Monterey County Health Department
³ Environmental Bio-Geochemistry Group, LAFQA, Geography Institute, National Autonomous Univ of Mexico
⁴ University of California, San Francisco

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: handleym{at}fcm.ucsf.edu.

	Abstract

Objective. Although the burden of lead poisoning has decreased across developed countries, it remains the most prevalent environmental poison worldwide. Our objective was to investigate an outbreak of lead poisoning in Monterey County, California.

Methods. An investigation in 3 county health department clinics in Monterey County, California, was conducted between 2001 and 2003 to identify risk factors for elevated blood lead levels (10 µg/dL) among children and pregnant women.

Results. The prevalence of elevated blood lead levels was significantly higher in 1 of the 3 clinics (6% among screened children and 13% among prenatal patients). Risk factors included eating imported foods (relative risk [RR]=3.4; 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.2, 9.5) and having originated from the Zimatlan area of Oaxaca, Mexico, compared with other areas of Oaxaca (RR=4.0; 95% CI=1.7, 9.5). Home-prepared dried grasshoppers (chapulines) sent from Oaxaca were found to contain significant amounts of lead.

Conclusions. Consumption of foods imported from Oaxaca was identified as a risk factor for elevated blood lead levels in Monterey County, California. Lead-contaminated imported chapulines were identified as 1 source of lead poisoning, although other sources may also contribute to the observed findings. Food transport between binational communities presents a unique risk for the importation of environmental hazards.

Key Words: Environment, Epidemiology, Global Health, Immigration, Hispanics/Latinos

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