RT Journal
A1 Stretesky PB, Lynch MJ
T1 THe relationship between lead exposure and homicide
JF Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine
JO Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine
YR 2001
FD May 1
VO 155
IS 5
SP 579
OP 582
DO 10.1001/archpedi.155.5.579
UL http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/archpedi.155.5.579
AB Context 
    Previous studies have suggested that excessive lead exposure is related to aggressive and violent behavior.Objective 
    To evaluate the association between estimated air lead concentrations and homicide rates.Design 
    Cross-sectional ecological study.Setting 
    All counties in the contiguous 48 states of the United States.Exposure Measure 
    Estimated air lead concentrations and blood lead levels.Main Outcome Measure 
    The homicide rate in each county.Results 
    Negative binomial regression was used to examine the relationship between air lead concentrations and the incidence of homicide across counties in the United States (N = 3111). After adjusting for sociologic confounding factors and 9 measures of air pollution, the only indictor of air pollution found to be associated with homicide rates was air lead concentration. Across all counties, estimated air lead concentrations ranged from 0 to 0.17 µg/m3. The adjusted results suggest that the difference between the highest and lowest level of estimated air lead is associated with a homicide incidence rate ratio of 4.12 (95% confidence interval, 1.02-16.61).Conclusion 
    The results of this study support recent findings that there is an association between lead exposure and violent behavior.