Kids with toxic lead levels nearly doubled in 2022 with newer standards. What to know
David Bruce Erie Times-News
Nearly twice as many Erie County children were diagnosed with elevated levels of lead in their blood in 2022 than the previous year.
Tests showed that 348 county children younger than 6 had elevated blood lead levels in 2022, compared to 189 the previous year, according to a new Pennsylvania Department of Health report.
Times-News investigation: Why lead paint problems persist in Erie
There is a caveat, however. In October 2021, the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention lowered the minimum of what is considered an elevated blood lead level from 5 micrograms per deciliter to 3.5 micrograms. It's the third time the CDC has lowered the minimum since 1991.
In Erie County, most cases of elevated blood levels can be traced to children ingesting or inhaling tiny flakes of lead paint. Many of the county's houses and apartments were built before 1978, when lead-based paint was still used.
"With lead, it's all about the child's environment," said Dr. Susan Moore, a pediatrician with AHN Pediatrics, 4247 West Ridge Road. "Is there old paint peeling around the windows? Are there tiny flakes and paint dust in places where the child has access?"
Moore called low-level lead poisoning a "silent" illness. Families sometimes don't realize there is a problem until a child is tested or they struggle in school.
Only about 20% of Erie County children younger than 6 get tested for lead levels each year. It is required only for children whose families receive Medicaid.
"It is required for all children in Allegheny County and Philadelphia, but not statewide," Cook said.
Though the numbers are lower than they were 12, 13 years ago, they still remain higher than the Pennsylvania average.
Where does Erie County fare with diagnosed lead poisonings in PA?
Erie County ranked 13th highest among the state's 67 counties in its percentage of all children (1.21%) with a blood lead level between 3.5 and 9.9, and 15th highest in its percentage of all children (0.21%) with a blood lead level of 10 or higher.
"We still have work to do," Cook said. "Too many children have elevated blood lead levels and not enough children are getting tested."
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