This week in the United States is National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week. The goals of National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week include:
- Raising awareness about lead poisoning
- Emphasizing the importance of lead screening for the highest risk children (children under the age of six)
- Reducing lead exposure in people of all ages
- Preventing childhood lead poisoning
- Eliminating childhood lead poisoning in the United States by 2010
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (in partnership with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services) estimates that 250,000 children in the United States have elevated levels of lead in the blood. This is bad.
How does a child get exposed to lead? The most common source of lead in the United States these days is lead paint. Chips of old paint (used before 1978) can contain lead; dust and soil can also become contaminated by lead paint (paint can be worn down into powder and mingle with dust or soil). Lead can also enter the environment when doing home renovations — like taking down old paint to replace with safer, lead-free paint!
Other common lead sources include:
- Imported toys (including dress-up jewelry)
- Imported cosmetics
- Imported candy
- Some pottery and ceramics
- Contaminated drinking water — lead pipes, lead solder, brass fixtures, and brass valves can leach lead into the water
- “Take-home” exposure — lead from outside sources can come home on clothes or with scrap/waste material from work or hobbies.
What can you do? The best thing parents can do is prevent lead exposure. Keep children away from peeling paint so they aren’t tempted to taste the chips. Talk to your local or state government about testing paint and dust from your house for lead. Wash hands and toys frequently, and use a wet mop or cloth on uncarpeted floors and windowsills. If you work with lead outside the home, try to shower and change your clothes before returning to the house.
The CDC has more tips for preventing lead poisoning.