A spatial analysis approach combining multi-media and human models to map the lead exposure of children in a French region

The last decade has witnessed an increasing interest in assessing health risks caused by contaminants present in several environmental media, i.e. soil, air, and water. To that end, mathematical models describing the fate of compounds in the environment (multi-media models) and in the human body (toxicokinetic models) can be combined to simulate realistic exposure scenarios of the human populations. These models can also be integrated in a Geographic Information System (GIS) to produce maps of exposure and reveal spatial patterns. The aim of this study was to develop a spatial stochastic multimedia and human exposure model for detecting vulnerable populations and analyzing exposure determinants at a fine resolution and regional scale. This approach was applied to the exposure to lead of children in the Region Nord-Pas-de-Calais in France.