Hello and welcome.
This presentation is entitled Childhood Lead
Poisoning Prevention: Information for the Community.
It's designed to inform you on the topic of childhood
lead poisoning and how you can help prevent it.
The purpose of this video is to show that lead exposure is a major public
health problem and to highlight its continuing impact on children and adults.
In this presentation you will learn the sources of lead exposure,
major short-term and long-term health outcomes of exposure,
and how to help protect children from lead exposure.
First, what is lead?
Lead is a metal that occurs naturally in the environment
and has been used in industrial and consumer products.
What is lead poisoning?
Lead poisoning or lead toxicity refers to human exposures
to lead that result in illness and require immediate medical attention.
Lead poisoning happens when lead is absorbed into the body over time.
Children under 6 years old are most at risk.
Also if you're pregnant, lead can harm your baby.
Large amounts of lead exposure may cause death, and small amounts of lead
in children ages 0 to 3 may cause brain damage,
decreased thinking ability, and academic and behavior problems in school.
What is blood lead level?
Blood lead level or BLL
is the amount of lead found in blood.
It is measured in micrograms per deciliter of blood.
Children, especially those younger than 6 years
old, are more vulnerable to lead poisoning,
but everyone can be affected by lead.
Even low levels of lead in a child's blood may cause lifelong health effects
such as lower IQ, decreased growth, and decreased hearing.
These effects may continue into adolescence
and contribute to challenges in educational advancement.
Lead exposure does not have obvious
symptoms but can affect nearly every part of the human body.
No safe level of lead has ever been identified.
As you can see from this diagram, there are many organ systems
affected by lead in both children and adults, including the brain.
Lead may cause memory loss, irritability, and depression in adults.
It may cause behavior problems, lower IQ, and learning disabilities in children.
It may also cause high blood pressure in adults and anemia in children.
Damage to kidneys can occur for both children and adults,
among other affected organs.
There are age-specific developmental impacts on children exposed to lead
starting—before a child even enters the school system—
with difficulty listening and following instructions.
When a child is in early elementary school,
they are more likely to fall behind academically.
Early and upper elementary school children may have trouble making the transition
from simply memorizing facts to using math concepts to solve problems.
In middle school a child may have difficulty attaining higher order
cognitive and organizational skills such as evaluation or analysis.
In high school a person is more likely
to smoke, skip or drop out of school, commit
criminal offenses, or engage in risky sexual behaviors.
Now we will discuss in more detail
where lead can be found in our environments.
Lead exposure can come from many places in a child's environment.
It can be in their food, specifically canned food
if lead solder was used or from lead dust in the air getting into the food.
It can be in the air, from industrial or auto emissions
and lead dust created from things such as lead paint on windows.
It can get into the soil from the lead in the air or water.
It can be from other sources in a child's environment
like their toys, jewelry, or paint.
Lead dust can collect on windowsills,
toys, floors and even pets.
Understanding all the different avenues for lead exposure in a child's
life is the first step in preventing lead poisoning.
Lead is sometimes used to enhance the color of spices like turmeric,
or it is used to increase profits by adding weight to packages.
In a 2018 North Carolina study,
111 of 386,
or 29 percent, samples of spices, home remedies
and ceremonial powders were found to contain high levels of lead.
The country of origin was not known for all samples,
but 76 percent of them came from the United States.
Lead may be found in the paint, metal,
and plastic parts of some toys and toy jewelry, particularly
those made in other countries, and antique toys and collectibles.
To reduce children's risk for lead exposure,
the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission— the CPSC—tests and issues
recalls of current products that may potentially expose children to lead.
Check the CPSC website, or give them a call to be sure
your child's toys are safe.
There are many occupations and industries
that are known for potential lead exposure.
Some of these include automotive repair,
home renovations, and work with firearms.
If you are already employed or want to pursue a job in one of these industries,
it is important for you to practice lead-safe behaviors
like taking your shoes off outside of the home before entering.
Later in the presentation, we will go over more lead-safe behaviors
that you can do, or you can share them with your family and friends
if they participate in these industries.
Some hobbies and activities are known to also be a potential source
of lead exposure, such as making stained glass,
furniture refinishing, and hunting.
There are steps you can take to help decrease your risk of lead exposure
if you take part in any of these activities.
Always wear protective equipment such as an outer layer of clothes
that you can remove before entering your home, car, or school.
Always wash your face, hands, and any uncovered
skin thoroughly after you finish your activity.
Lead hazards are created when lead-painted surfaces deteriorate
or are disturbed, and the crumbling paint
is deposited in house dust and soil.
Older houses built before 1978 are more likely to have lead
paint and lead water pipes that can leach into drinking water.
Renovation of older housing is becoming
a common source of lead exposure.
In 1996 the Lead Hazard
Disclosure Rule became effective, requiring all landlords and sellers
to provide buyers and tenants with lead hazard warnings and pamphlets.
Landlords or sellers must disclose
the presence of known lead-based paint and/or hazards.
They must provide lead hazard warnings
and pamphlets with a lease or sale contract,
obtain a written statement from buyers and tenants
that they received a federal lead hazard pamphlet, and buyers
have a 10-day window to conduct a lead test on the property.
For home buyers
federal law requires that before being obligated under a contract
to buy a house, including most buildings built before 1978,
buyers must receive the following from the home seller:
an EPA-approved information pamphlet
on identifying and controlling lead-based paint hazards and
any known information concerning the presence of lead-based paint
or lead-based paint hazards in the home
or building. For multi-unit buildings,
this requirement includes records and reports concerning common areas
and other units when such information was obtained
as a result of a building-wide evaluation;
an attachment to the contract, or language inserted in the contract,
that includes a lead warning statement and confirms that the seller
has complied with all notification requirements,
a 10-day period to conduct a paint inspection
or risk assessment for lead-based paint or lead-based paint hazards.
And in addition you may locate a certified risk
assessment or abatement company on the EPA website.
By entering your state or location, you can find that link
in the additional resources section of this training website.
For renters federal law requires that before signing a lease, including most buildings
built before 1978, renters must receive the following
information from your landlord: an EPA-approved information
pamphlet called Protect Your Family from Lead in Your Home and
any known information concerning the presence of lead-based paint or lead-
based paint hazards in the home or building for multi-unit buildings.
This requirement
includes records and reports concerning common areas and other units
when such information was obtained as a result of a building-wide evaluation,
an attachment to the contract or language inserted in the contract
that includes a “Lead Warning Statement” and confirms that the landlord
has complied with all notification requirements.
If you have concerns, ask your landlord to get a lead hazard inspection
from a certified inspector before signing a lease.
A professional renovator or home inspector can test your home for lead
paint using EPA certified brands: 3M, D-Lead,
and, if you're in Massachusetts, the State of Massachusetts lead test kits.
Also home testing kits are available at local hardware stores.
You can call your state or local water department,
and you can find their information
by calling the EPA's Safe Drinking Water Hotline.
Parents, if you or your child has been exposed to lead,
you should reach out to your family doctor or your child's
pediatrician immediately. At the doctor's office
you or your child will receive a blood lead test
through a fingerstick sample or a vein sample.
If lead is found in blood,
follow-up care may be recommended, including removal of lead
from the environment,
diet high in iron and calcium for children,
early educational services, follow-up blood
testing, and x-rays and chelation
therapy for high levels.
It is important to practice lead-safe behaviors
to prevent lead exposure whenever possible.
Eating foods rich in iron, calcium, and vitamin C
helps prevent the absorption of lead into the body.
Frequent handwashing and cleaning of window frames and floors
eliminates one of the main avenues for lead dust exposure.
And if you know you have lead piping in your home,
letting the tap run for 3 to 5 minutes before using
it will allow the pipes to flush out the lead contaminated water.
Some occupations and hobbies
expose you to lead, which can be brought into your home,
so creating barriers between this exposure and children,
like removing shoes outside the home, is very important.
Lead poisoning puts a child
at high risk for developmental and physical delays.
There are resources available to families that identify
any possible delays to help children thrive.
Head Start is an early childhood program that focuses on children's
physical and mental health, nutrition, and social service needs.
These programs have shown cognitive improvements
in the children who are enrolled.
Early Intervention offers
services and supports such as speech, physical,
and occupational therapy based on what the child needs.
Your local Child and Family Connections office or your local public health
department can assist you in getting a child enrolled in early intervention.
Developmental screenings show a parent what their child can do
compared to other children of the same age.
Easter Seals offers a free online
screening called the Ages and Stages Questionnaire.
This screening is designed for children 0 to 5 years old.
Now that we know about the adverse effects
of lead exposure, what can we do about it?
Knowing where the high-risk housing in your community is located
is important for not only current and future homebuyers
but also for professionals such as real estate agents,
plumbers, painters, renovators, home inspectors, and more.
Encouraging lead-safe practices will help decrease
the potential lead exposures in your home.
It is also important to research brands of spices, toys,
and jewelry to know if they're safe and have passed lead
standards for the United States.
Check for recalls on current products on the Consumer Product
Safety Commission’s website or by giving them a call.
Before buying or renting an older home or apartment, it is important to have
the place inspected for lead hazards in the paint,
dust, soil, and water.
Spread word about possible lead exposures,
and let's help prevent lead exposures before they happen.
Childhood lead exposure is a problem
we can prevent when we know the risks and help spread the word.
This presentation was developed in collaboration
with the American Academy of Pediatrics.
The contents of this presentation are those of the authors
and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor
an endorsement by, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
the American Academy of Pediatrics, the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services, or the U.S. Government.
Thank you for viewing Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention:
Information for the Community.
For questions or comments regarding this video,
please send an email to leadinfo@CDC.gov
and indicate “Community Education Question”
in the subject line.
Here are the presentation references.
Have a great day. Thank you for watching.