Lead part two: "There is no safe level of blood lead in children"

Most readers probably already knew before the previous post that lead is a health hazard, especially for young children.

However, in May of 2012, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control recently updated the threshold for lead poisoning in children. [1]

As reported by the Boston Globe:

Really, “there is no safe level of blood lead in children,’’ said Christopher Portier, of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Recent research persuaded specialists and government officials that young children could be harmed from lead levels in their blood that are lower than the old standard.

Lead - a metal that for years was common in paint and gasoline - can harm a child’s brain, kidneys, and other organs. High levels in the blood can cause coma, convulsions, and death.

Lower levels can reduce intelligence, impair hearing and behavior, and cause other problems.

Health officials have been focused on young children, who are most affected by lead poisoning.

For example, the panel said the CDC should do more to make sure no children are exposed to lead hazards.

The CDC agreed that should happen, but does not have the money or staff for such an effort.

In addition, the University of Massachusetts Soil Lab (one of the best in the nation) provides excellent information about lead in soil.

Perhaps the most important piece to point out about this 2012 information sheet that UMass provides [2] is the recommendation to:

Protect garden from airborne particulates using a fence or hedge (fine dust has the highest lead concentration).

and that:

Soil lead becomes a health risk when directly ingested or inhaled as dust.

The EPA echoes that sentiment, saying:[3]

FACT: Lead exposure can harm young children and babies even before they are born.
FACT: Even children who seem healthy can have high levels of lead in their bodies.
FACT: You can get lead in your body by breathing or swallowing lead dust, or by eating soil or paint chips containing lead.

Hurricane-force winds from leaf blowers aimed directly at the ground raise a lot of dust. In lead-contaminated yards, which are plentiful in Arlington, a lot of dust is raised which contains soil particles.

People walk through these dust clouds, people inhale the dust. Children who inhale the dust may be at the greatest risk.

Notes:
[1] Boston Globe, "US Lowers Cutoff for Lead Poisoning in Young Kids," http://www.bostonglobe.com/news/nation/2012/05/16/lowers-cutoff-for-lead-poisoning-young-kids/8d5oZSEuhIOWLdanCvRZ0I/story.html.

[2] UMass Soil and Plant Tissue Testing Laboratory, "Soil Lead: Testing, Interpretation, & Recommendations," http://extension.umass.edu/landscape/sites/landscape/files/publications/soil_lead_2012.pdf.

[3] U.S. EPA, "Lead in Paint, Dust, and Soil: Basic Information" web page, http://epa.gov/lead/pubs/leadinfo.htm