Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Heavy metal pollution in Jamaica 1: Survey of cadmium, lead and zinc concentrations in the Kintyre and Hope Flat districts

  • Published:
Environmental Geochemistry and Health Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Despite its being highly mineralised, the Hope Mine area has become a residential district. Composite soil samples taken from 91 allotments show values for cadmium: < 2–220 mg kg−1, lead: 6–38,000 mg kg−1, and zinc: 66–40,000 mg kg−1. Water samples from adits contain 52–86 μg kg−1 of lead and < 1–2 hg kg−1 of cadmium. The soil contents of cadmium and lead in at least two areas suggest that remedial actions should be considered. Blood lead levels for 33 children aged between ten months and seven years are in the range 5.7–57 μg dl−1; haemoglobin levels vary between 9.7 and 12.7 mg dl−1. There is no obvious relationship between Pb and haemoglobin levels. Further geochemical work to define fully the spatial extent of the polluted region and epidemiological studies including intelligence testing to define further the effects of lead on children in this environment would be valuable.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Alloway, B. J. 1990.Heavy Metals in Soils. Blackie, Glasgow and London.

    Google Scholar 

  • Araki, S. and Honma, T. 1982. Relationships between lead absorption and peripheral nerve conduction velocities in lead workers.Br. J. Ind. Med. 39, 157–60.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • ATSDR, 1988.Toxicological Profile for Cadmium. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, US Public Health Service and US Environmental Protection Agency, Atlanta, GA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Campbell, E. N. 1991. Lead exposure from backyard battery repair shops in Kingston. Bachelor of Heath Sciences Thesis. College of Arts Science and Technology.

  • Carby, B. E. 1985. The Geology, Mineralogy, and Geochemistry of the Hope Zinc-lead deposit. Ph. D. Thesis, University of the West Indies (Mona) Jamaica, p322.

    Google Scholar 

  • Centers for Disease Control. 1991.Preventing Lead Poisoning in Young Children. Atlanta, Georgia.

  • Davies, B.E. 1987. An assessment of the exposure of young children to lead in the home environment. In:Lead in the Home Environment, Thornton, I. and Culbard, E. (eds), pp. 189–196. Science Reviews Ltd, Northwood, England.

    Google Scholar 

  • Johnson, A.H.M. 1993. Elemental concentrations in Jamaican soils, MPhil thesis, University of the West Indies.

  • Kabata-Pendias, A. and Pendias, H. 1984.Trace Elements in Soils and Plants. CRC Press, Boca Raton, Florida.

    Google Scholar 

  • Landrigan, P.J. 1989. Toxicity of lead at low dose.British Journal of Industrial Medicine,46, 493–596.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lindsay, W.L. 1972.Adv. Agron. 24, 147.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Major, R.H. 1939.Classic Descriptions of Disease with Biographical Sketches of the Authors, 2nd ed. Baltimore and Springfield, Illinois.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mielke, H.W., Adams, J. L., Chancy, R. L., Mielke Jr., P. W. and Ravikumar, V. C. 1991. The pattern of cadmium in the environment of five Minnesota cities.Environmental Geochemistry and Health,13, 29–34.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Moir, A. M. and Thornton, I. 1989. Lead and cadmium in urban allotment and garden soils and vegetables in the United Kingdom.Environmental Geochemistry and Health,11, 113–119.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Raboniwitz, M.B., Wang, J. and Soong, W. 1991. Dentine lead and child intelligence in Taiwan.Arch. Environ. Health,46 (6), 351–360.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rodney, B.S. and Lee, M. G. 1985. Environmental lead in a high risk Jamaican population.West Ind. Med. J.,34, 176–179.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rosen, J. F. 1992. Health effects of lead at low exposure levels.AJDC,146, 1278–1281.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution. 1983.Lead in the Environment, Ninth Report. HMSO, London.

    Google Scholar 

  • Serjeant, G. R., Grandison, Y., Mason, K., Serjeant, B., Films, A. S. and Vaidya, S. 1980. Haematological indices in normal negro children: a Jamaican cohort from birth to five years.Clin. lab. Haemat.,2, 169–178.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • World Health Organisation, 1972.Sixteenth Report of the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives. WHO Technical Report Series No. 505. World Health Organisation, Geneva.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Health Centre, University of the West Indies, Mona, 7, Kingston, Jamaica

    B. Anglin-Brown

  2. Centre for Nuclear Sciences, University of the West Indies, Mona, 7, Kingston, Jamaica

    A. Armour-Brown & G. C. Lalor

Authors
  1. B. Anglin-Brown
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. A. Armour-Brown
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. G. C. Lalor
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Additional information

To whom correspondence should be addressed.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Anglin-Brown, B., Armour-Brown, A. & Lalor, G.C. Heavy metal pollution in Jamaica 1: Survey of cadmium, lead and zinc concentrations in the Kintyre and Hope Flat districts. Environ Geochem Health 17, 51–56 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00146708

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00146708

Keywords

Search

Navigation