Santa Maria Atzompa is a Oaxacan community well known for its production of green-glazed ceramic. Ceramic is the primary source of income in the community and also is the primary source of lead (Pb). This study determined the amount of Pb consumed by community members based on portion sizes of cooked beans, a main food staple, for both adults and children. After collecting bean samples, performing a LeadCheck® Swab on the pot that the beans were cooked and/or stored in, and conducting informal interviews with questions pertaining to the samples collected, the beans were chemically analyzed in the laboratory at San Diego State University. Pb levels in the beans ranged from 4.15-47.74 parts per million (ppm). The average consumption level for children, based on a mean portion size of 135.6 g, was 2,770 mg/Pb. The average consumption level for adults, based on a mean portion size of 283.8 g, was 5,470 mg/Pb. The Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) established a provisional tolerable weekly intake (PTWI) for Pb of 25 mg of Pb per kilogram of body weight (mg/Pb/kg) per week or 3.5 mg/Pb/kg per day. Based on a community average of bean consumption six times per week, the average child weighing 30 kg is ingesting 515 mg/Pb/kg per week or 74 mg/Pb/kg per day while the average adult weighing 75 kg is ingesting 431 mg/Pb/kg per week or 62 mg/Pb/kg per day. The results of this study emphasize the need for immediate behavior change as well as continued educational interventions in Santa Maria Atzompa.
