Are Your Children Safe From Lead?

Lead has long been recognized as a harmful environmental pollutant. As a highly toxic heavy metal, lead produces a wide range of adverse health effects, particularly in young children. The effects of lead exposure in children can be severe. Infants and children are more vulnerable to lead exposure than adults because lead is more easily absorbed into the tissues of growing bodies. More than 1.7 million American children have unsafe blood lead levels, making lead poisoning the number one environmental health hazard for young children.


Whenever educating people I hear, “ My child never eats paint chips”. Although this can be a cause of poisoning, eating paint is one of the least identified reason for the poisoning. There are many ways in which children become exposed to lead: through air, drinking water, food, contaminated soil, deteriorating paint, and dust. Airborne lead enters the body when an individual breathes or swallows lead particles or dust once it has settled. Lead dust is of particular concern as it is often undetected and easily absorbed. Lead dust can enter the air through vacuuming , sweeping, or even an open window if the troughs and wells are dusty. I once tested a fan set in a window at the head of the child’s bed. The fan was loaded with lead dust!


Exposure to high levels of lead can cause delays in the physical and mental development of children. These delays often result in reading and learning problems, lowered IQ, hyperactivity, and discipline problems. Lead exposure may also cause hearing problems, kidney damage, vomiting, stomach aches, headaches, and appetite loss.


Often parents are not aware that their children are being exposed to lead as the initial stages of poisoning contain no detectable symptoms. A simple blood test can detect high levels of lead. Blood tests are important for children who are 6 months to 1 year old. Most often, a finger prick test is all that is needed. If a child is older than 1 year, consult your doctor to see if a blood test is needed. For more information about lead and testing, please contact your local health department for more information.


For Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's) about lead, go to my link http://www.environmentalhealthguy.com/faq_category.php?catID=4


Christopher A. Hinz
Environmental Health Specialist
Waushara, Green Lake, and Marquette Counties.