At a testing rate less than 20%, over 7,000 Pennsylvania children under 6 tested >3.5 lead levels in 2022, with Hispanic at 2X and Black at 2.5X - over 4X in Philly - the rate of poisoning of whites.

Paint, pipes, and soil can expose Pa. children to lead. How to stay safe.

by Sarah Boden for Spotlight PA | Nov. 19, 2024

While no amount of lead in the blood is safe, lead poisoning is especially dangerous for children because their bodies are still growing. The chemical can damage their developing brains and nervous systems, harm their kidneys, cause cardiovascular issues, and even slow their skeletal growth.

Nearly 9,000 Pennsylvania children younger than 16 tested positive for elevated lead levels in 2022, according to a report from the state Department of Health. Lead can enter the body in many ways, but people are at greater risk if they live in homes built before 1978 — the year the federal government banned consumer use of lead-based paint.

Pediatrician Amy Nevin of UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh served on Allegheny County’s lead task force in 2017, and is familiar with common exposure sources. When kids have elevated lead levels, she said, it’s often due to chipped and peeling lead paint that creates fine, odorless dust. Dust particles settle on surfaces and can be ingested or breathed in.

Contaminated soil can also expose people to lead, as can drinking water that travels through corroded pipes. Other sources might include pottery from foreign countries, cosmetics, or even older toys.

In the following conversation, which has been edited for clarity and length, Nevin explains that parents and caregivers can take many actions to protect children from lead. The issue is systemic, but knowing how lead exposures can happen provides at least one layer of protection.

Then, I have to touch on nutrition. Lead can “outcompete” calcium and iron in the body in the cellular processes. So it’s important to make sure that children have a really good diet, specifically a good intake of iron and calcium.

One of the mistakes that I always worry about is that when people are concerned about lead in the water is that they’ll trade out water for juice, sodas, or other things that are not healthy. What you really want to do is drink water, but do as much as you can to ensure that’s a safe water source.

We’ve been talking a lot about what individuals and families should be doing, but lead is a systemic problem. What sorts of policy changes would you like to see?

This is challenging. At this moment, I’d like to see policies that ensure that people know what they’re getting into with a house, especially when so many houses are older; whether it’s water, paint, or anything else.

https://www.spotlightpa.org/news/2024/11/pennsylvania-lead-poisoning-exposure-rates-paint-housing/