RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: A proliferation of "backyard battery repair shops" in Frazer's Content (Red Pond), St Catherine led to a number of cases of lead poisoning in that community. A lead decontamination project was instituted by Blue Cross of Jamaica Environmental Health Foundation in 1994 to address this problem. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the impact of that intervention. METHODS: Questionnaire were developed and filled in during interviews with 214 volunteers in Frazer's Content. Volunteers awareness of the environmental effects of lead and the success of the socioeconomic programmes were assessed. The medical records from five nearby hospitals were also checked for new cases of lead poisoning. In addition, soil and water samples were collected and analyzed by atomic absortion spectrophotometry for levels of lead. RESULTS: The results indicated that knowledge of lead poisoning had increased significantly since 1994. However, there was a marked decrease in entrepeneurial activities. Two new cases of lead posioning were noted. Seven of the soil samples had elevated lead levels (123-317 ppm) but none of the water samples had lead concentration above the critical level (10 hg/l). CONCLUSION: Based on these findings, it would appear that the decontamination and education projects done in 1994 were mostly successful in achieving their objectives. Entrepreneurial initiatives were not sustained.(Au)
