| ■ Homeowners Urged to Get the Lead Out | 2007.10.26 |
| National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week gets under way Oct. 21, and the theme for this year is "Protect Our Most Valuable Resource -- Our Children." To make that happen, the week is designed to educate parents and children about the dangers of lead exposure, especially lead-paint hazards in housing. Many states and communities will offer free lead screening, and conduct education and awareness events. Lead is highly toxic and can cause a range of health problems, from behavioral problems and learning disabilities, to seizures and even death. Children 6 years old and younger are at greatest risk because their bodies are growing quickly, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Lead exposure among young children has been drastically reduced over the last three decades, thanks to federal, state and local laws that banned lead in gasoline and house paint, as well as efforts to reduce or clean up lead in industrial emissions, drinking water, consumer goods, hazardous sites and other sources. In 1978, there were about 13.5 million children in the United States with elevated blood-lead levels. Today, approximately 310,000 children ages 1 to 5 years old have elevated blood-lead levels, the EPA said. The federal government aims to eliminate childhood lead poisoning by 2010, according to the EPA. Most lead exposure occurs when people eat lead-paint chips or lead dust. But the EPA estimates that 10 percent to 20 percent of human exposure may come from lead in drinking water. |