Lead pollution in urban and rural Saudi Arabian children

High lead levels in ambient air and dust measured in many cities of Saudi Arabia are associated with growth in vehicular traffic. To evaluate the impact on environmental Pb, scalp hair was collected from 200 boys aged 6-8 years residing in each of two cities and in two rural communities and analyzed for Pb concentration. The highest Pb levels were found for samples from Makkah City, one of the oldest settlements in the nation and with a higher population density and more intensive traffic activity than Riyadh. The mean hair Pb concentration of Makkah City is nearly six times higher than that of Riyadh. At present the Pb levels in hair of school children in Saudi Arabian cities are within the reported normal range and are below toxic levels.