Higher blood lead levels among children living in older homes in Evansville Indiana: associations between year house built, soil lead levels and blood lead levels among children aged 1-5 years - 1998 to 2006

A total of 18,218 blood lead levels (BLLs) were assessed. The samples from 11,719 children aged 1-5 years in Evansville, Indiana, were obtained on a volunteer basis between 1998 and 2006. In addition, soil lead levels were also evaluated from 35 residential yards that were matched to the addresses of 81 children. During the study period, both average BLLs and the percentage of elevated BLLs declined. Even so, Evansville's BLLs still remained higher than national levels (median BLLs of 3.0 vs. 1.5 mu g/dL, respectively). From our analysis, living in older houses (presumably containing lead paint) was associated with higher BLLs in children. No clear association was found between higher BLLs and gender or residential soil lead levels.