Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal, Vol. In order to identify the prevalence of lead toxicity and related risk factors, a study was conducted of 408 working children and adolescents in Alexandria. Thus, more attention should be paid to the problem of lead toxicity in working children, particularly in industrialized urban cities with heavy traffic and an unprotected work environment. Introduction Lead toxicity, one of the most common syndromes of environmental origin, is a challenge to our health care.
Lead toxicity causes haematological, gastrointestinal and neurological dysfunctions.
This lowering of the designated toxic blood level has significantly increased the number of children who are now considered to suffer from lead poisoning. Alexandria Governorate is an industrial centre with a number of large factories on the outskirts of the city and several workshops dispersed in the urban areas. Child labour is mostly used in small workshops, which are more difficult to monitor than large factories. The risk of lead toxicity in these children has not been evaluated before. This study was conducted to estimate the frequency of lead toxicity among working children in Alexandria and to study the potential risk factors affecting lead toxicity in these children.