Childhood Lead Poisoning
QVHD conducts environmental investigations of premises where children with an elevated blood lead level have been found. Paint, dust, soil, and water samples are sent to the state laboratory for analysis. The property owner is required by law to abate lead from premises with toxic levels. In addition, QVHD can identify lead hazards of all premises and ensure remediation is done using lead-safe work practices.
Lead poisoning occurs when lead enters the bloodstream and builds up to toxic levels. Many different factors such as the source of exposure, length of exposure, and underlying susceptibility (e.g., child’s age, nutritional status, and genetics) affect how the body handles foreign substances.
About 3.3 MILLION American households, including 2.1 MILLION low-income households, have children under 6 YEARS of age who live in homes with lead exposure hazards. Even relatively low levels of lead exposure can impair a child’s cognitive development. Children with blood lead levels can experience delayed growth and development, damage to the brain and nervous system, learning and behavior problems, and a host of other health-related problems. Public health actions are needed for these children. There is no safe blood lead level in children.
• Lead is a toxic element, especially in young children. When absorbed into the body, it can result in damage to the brain and nervous system, learning and behavior problems, slow growth and development, and hearing and speech problems.
• Lead poisoning is preventable! The key is preventing children from coming into contact with lead.
• Lead can be found inside and outside the home. The most common source of exposure is from lead-based paint, which was used in many homes built before 1978. Children can be exposed by swallowing or breathing in lead dust created by old paint that has cracked and chipped, eating paint chips, or chewing on surfaces coated with lead-based paint, such as window sills.
