Human health risk assessment of lead in drinking water: a case study from Port-au-Prince, Haiti

In Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), human intoxication to lead is considered as an important public health issue. In Port-au-Prince, concentrations of lead ranging from 40 mu g/L to 90 mu g/L, greater than the threshold value (10 mu g/L) for drinking water, were measured in groundwater and drinking water. This study aims to assess human health risks generated by exposure to lead in the Port-au-Prince water supply. Two sampling campaigns were performed between April 2004 and December 2004 on different structures of the public water supply. A significant lead concentration of 250 mu g/L, greater than the threshold value, had been detected in a water tank. Risk of deterioration of the psychological development of children exposed to these waters was calculated. These results require monitoring in order to control the human health risk by lead in Port-au-Prince's drinking water.