Lead and aluminium levels in infants' hair, diet, and the local environment in the Moroccan city of Marrakech

In order to assess the contamination burden of infants from the city of Marrakech (Morocco), hair lead and aluminium concentrations were studied in a sample of 573 infants, aged 0 to 12 months, and correlated with the infants descriptors such as age, gender and the parents occupations. Moreover, the two metals were measured in the local environment (soil, drinking water) and in the food commonly used during weaning. The mean values in children's hair are 6.6 and 9.5 μg/g for lead and aluminium respectively. The higher value for aluminium compared with lead can be explained by the higher levels of aluminium available in both the infant food and the environment. Age, gender, and the parents' occupations influenced significantly lead but not aluminium contents.