Summary
Blood-lead levels were measured in tenants of vegetable gardens located in close proximity to busy highways (average: >25000 vehicles per workday) in the Netherlands. For comparison, blood-lead levels were determined in tenants of vegetable gardens located away from busy traffic. The results indicate that there is no significant difference between the geometric mean blood-lead levels of the two populations, despite a 2–3-fold difference in the lead content of their vegetables, and despite frequent consumption of these vegetables in the exposed group. Mean PbB-values were around 0.48 μmol/l (100 μg/l), which is well below existing health guidelines and slightly below the levels found in another recent survey of Dutch suburban residents.
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Wijn, M., Duives, P., Herbert, R. et al. Lead uptake from vegetables grown along highways. Int. Arch Occup Environ Heath 52, 263–270 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00526525
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00526525