Psychological alterations in children exposed to a lead-rich home environment.

Exposure to high lead concentrations produces severe alterations in central nervous system development and, consequently, in the behavior of both experimental animals and children (l-5). However, in asymptomatic children exposed to lead intoxication the resulting intellectual and behavioral abnormalities may be expressed in different waysi.e., as hyperactivity (S), fine motor incoordination (7), or various shortcomings revealed by various psychological tests (2, 7, 8). Previous work by the authors that was carried out in the town of Tonal& (located in a pottery-producing area of Jalisco, Mexico) found higher blood-lead levels in children of families manufacturing pottery than in chil-