Learn how you can prevent lead poisoning during National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week in October. This year’s theme is “Shut the Door to Lead Poisoning.”

Children six years old and under are most at risk from lead poisoning because their bodies and nervous systems are still developing. Lead poisoning in children, even at low levels, can cause developmental problems, learning disabilities, impaired hearing and behavioral problems.

The primary sources of lead exposure for children are deteriorating lead-based paint, lead contaminated dust and lead in residential soil. Minority and low-income children are disproportionately affected by lead poisoning since they are more likely to live in pre-1978 housing containing lead-based paint.

Lead exposure among young children has been drastically reduced over the last two decades because of the phase-out of lead from gasoline, beverage cans, new house paint, federal, state and local regulations on lead in paint, reductions of lead in industrial emissions, drinking water, consumer goods, hazardous sites and other sources.

As a result of these past and on-going efforts, children's blood-lead levels have declined over 80 percent since the mid-70s. In 1978, there were about 14.8 million children in the United States with elevated blood-lead levels.

Currently, approximately 434,000 U.S. children age 1-5 years have blood-lead levels greater than the Centers for Disease Control recommended level of 10 µg/dL.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has a variety of educational materials available in several different languages to educate parents, teachers and kids about the dangers of lead.

For more information, visit the National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week webpage.

9/30/2005