New Yorkers who were born in Mainland China have a more favorable men-
tal, cardiac, and reproductive health profile than other New Yorkers, but
higher exposures to heavy metals. The diet among Chinese New Yorkers is
heavy in vegetables and seafood, which may both explain the lower cardiac
risk profile and the higher exposure to mercury (Newman & Linke, 1982;
Porterfield, 1951). Cadmium and lead can persist in the body for decades,
and may reflect exposures within China (Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, n.d.). However, recent exposures to lead could occur via tra-
ditional medicines that contain lead (Ernst, 2002). While lead tends to be
sequestered in the bones, on average, those with significant early life lead
exposures could plausibly have higher average blood lead levels due to
leeching.
The health of immigrants to New York city from mainland china: Evidence from the New York Health Examination and Nutrition survey
Peter Muenning, Yue Waang, Aleksandra Jakubowski
Mailman School of Public Health, Department of Health Poloicy and Management, Columbia University, New York, USA
available online 06 Mar 2012