Blood lead levels in Papua New Guinea children living in remote area.

Improved contamination-free micro blood sampling and chemical analysis techniques were used to study the lead in blood (Pb--B) levels in 100 Papua New Guinea children living in a remote area. Six soil samples from different locations in the area were also chemically analysed as a check on environmental conditions. The mean value for Pb--B was 5.2 micrograms/100 ml with a range of 1.0--13.0 microgram/100 ml. The standard deviation was 2.5 micrograms/100 ml. The results indicate much lower Pb--B levels for children living in a remote area than the earlier commonly reported levels for similar areas. These results indicate a need to reappraise the comparisons often made with Pb--B levels for urban children.