Reducing Children's Risk from Lead in Soil

Lead poisoning is the most common and serious environmental disease affecting young children, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). During the past 25 years, researchers have gathered extensive information that verifies the adverse effects of elevated levels of lead in the blood on cognitive development. CDC recognized this research and lowered the definition of elevated blood lead level for children under age 6 from 25 to 10 micrograms lead per deciliter (μg Pb/dL) (1). Evidence for potential effects at even lower levels continues to accumulate (2). The median levels in children under age 6 fell from about 15-18 μg Pb/dL blood in 1970 to 2-3 μg Pb/dL in 1994 as a result of the concurrent reduction of lead in automotive emissions, paint, drinking water, and soldered food cans (3). Yet, more than 2.2% of children ages 1-5 still have blood lead concentrations higher than 10 μg Pb/dL (3). Children living in central cities exhibit a higher prevalence of elevated blood lead levels (4).