Blood lead levels in young children in the United States declined in the last decade, but state data reveal that children of color and children from low-wealth families are still exposed to higher levels of lead, according to a study in the American Journal of Public Health. No level of lead in children’s blood is safe.
The study was conducted by lead experts affiliated with Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, the University of Pennsylvania and Project TENDR, an alliance of scientists, health professionals and environmental health advocates working to protect children from toxic chemicals that harm brain development and contribute to problems with learning, attention and behavior. To better describe childhood lead exposures, future studies should increase its sample size, oversample high-risk populations, and release timely data, and states should expand surveillance and risk factors and make data publicly available. Together, the data assessed here provide benchmarks to target prevention efforts and warn of emerging risks.
PRCCEH Deputy Director Aimin Chen was a co-author on this study.