The DR took a long time (too long, to my mind) to get lead out of their petrol, but they have done so.
There are many other potential sources of lead. I don't know if Dominican paints have gotten all the lead out, but that's one possibility. Ceramics made with clay and glazes containing lead is another, especially those that might come in contact with food or beverages that are consumed. Lead water pipes. Food cans with lead solder (some Latin American nations have yet to ban lead soldering in food cans -- Brazil and Mexico only did so just a few years back, and they are generally considered leaders in food safety matters in the region).
There's also the traditional Dominican "remedy" Litargirio used on foot fungus. The US-FDA banned it from entering the US last year because they discovered exceptionally high levels (79%) of lead in it. Yet reportedly you can still find it in the DR.
There's also some places in the DR where artesanal "recycling" -- "mining" is really a better word -- of car batteries is conducted, without any safeguards against pollution of the ground or groundwater. There was an infamous case of this in Haina few years back, where the surrounding area became so contaminated with lead that high levels were found in the blood of neighbors and children were born with severe birth defects.[
http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/members/1999/107p917-920kaul/kaul-full.html]
Remember, too, that poor nutrition can highten the effects of exposure to lead.
I'm curious, Lee. Where do you get those stats? Last I heard, the DR was not yet conducting health surveillance for environmental contaminants such as lead. In fact, SESPAS reportedly has identified it as one of the areas where good studies and data is lacking but is urgently needed....