Lead
Lead poisoning is preventable, yet each year thousands of children in Pennsylvania are sickened by the toxic metal. Harmful levels of lead are present in all 67 Pennsylvania counties — in old homes, crumbling schools, aging water service lines, and soil near former industrial sites.
Even small amounts of lead can cause harm to the brain and other parts of the nervous system. Lead in a child’s body can:
Slow growth and development
Damage hearing and speech
Cause behavior problems
Make it hard to pay attention and learn
Due to their increased hand-to-mouth activity and developing neurological and digestive systems, children under the age of 6 years are at an increased risk of the effects of lead exposure. Some health problems caused by lead exposure never go away. The best response to the problem is to prevent lead poisoning.
Sources of Exposure
The major source of childhood lead exposure is lead paint and the dust it produces. Many homes built before the 1978 national ban on lead paint have lead paint on the inside and outside of the building.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, 24 percent of homes in Pennsylvania built between 1960 and 1977 are likely to contain lead-based paint; 69 percent of those built between 1940 and 1969 are likely to contain lead-based paint, and and 87 percent of those built before 1940 are likely to contain lead-based paint.
Based on estimates of housing stock in the United States by age, Pennsylvania ranks 6th nationwide in the percentage of housing stock constructed before 1980, with 71 percent of its housing believed to be constructed prior to 1978.
When old paint cracks and peels, it makes lead dust. Children can be exposed to lead from ingesting flakes of paint or paint dust that gets on their hands and toys. Some examples of other sources of lead exposure include contaminated water or soil, folk medicines, certain kinds of cosmetics and jewelry, and imported spices. Lead can also be brought into the house by pets and on toys, shoes, work clothes, or uniforms.
Lead Testing
Some children may have no signs or symptoms of lead poisoning. The only way to know for sure if a child has been poisoned is to get the child tested for lead.
Parents and caregivers of young children (ages 1 to 6) should have their children tested for lead. Talk to your child’s doctor about getting a blood lead test. Pediatricians recommend that children get a blood lead test at around the age of one and again around the age of two. Children who live in older housing or have other risk factors should be screened once a year until the age of 6.
Children can be tested at their doctor’s office or a laboratory. Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and private insurance cover blood lead testing for children. To learn more about how to reduce the risk of lead poisoning contact your local health department. Additional information can be obtained from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Policy Priorities
Pennsylvania should invest in policies and strategies to prevent childhood lead poisoning across the state’s diverse communities.