Blood Lead Levels among School Children after Phasing-Out of Leaded Petrol in Delhi, India

The use of leaded petrol was prohibited in the Delhi city by the end of 1998. To determine the impact of use of unleaded petrol, this cross-sectional study was conducted to determine blood lead levels in primary school children. Blood lead levels were estimated in 300 school children aged 6 to 10 y. The data regarding clinical features and putative risk factors for high blood lead levels was also collected. Of the 300 children, 36 (12 %) had high blood lead levels. Of the 36 children, 32 had blood lead levels between 10 and 19 mu g/dl, 4 had 20-44 mu g/dl and none had levels > 45 mu g/dl. Factors such as exposure to peeling paint, recent renovation of housing and near-distance of house to main road were significantly associated with high blood lead levels. There is significant prevalence of high blood lead levels in school children in Delhi, even after with prohibition of use of leaded petrol.