Lead | Philadelphia Regional Center for Children's Environmental Health

Explore this page: Lead and children's health | Ways to reduce exposure to lead | Our Programs | Our Researchers

When you buy gasoline and indoor house paint today, you’ll see “unleaded” or “lead free”. Unfortunately, this wasn’t always the case. It once was standard for all paints and gasoline to have lead, which found its way into our air, soil and the mouths of children.

Even though these leaded products are now banned, our children are still dealing with the consequences of our actions from years past. Children are most often exposed by eating chipping and deteriorating paint inside older homes.

It is vital that caregivers and pregnant people understand how their children can be exposed to lead and how to prevent it. We developed this page to help you identify common sources of lead, and available programs in our region to help children avoid or reduce exposure to lead.

Child drinking water from the kitchen sink.

Child playing blocks with woman on carpet in bedroom.

Lead and children's health

Despite the average blood lead levels in children declining since 1980, lead exposure is still one of biggest childhood environmental health issues.

Children can get lead exposure from:

their mother during pregnancy;
dust in homes containing lead paint;
outdoor soil and dirt that contains historic deposits of lead from gasoline; and/or
contaminated drinking water if the pipe, solder and/or fixtures contain lead.

Lead exposure reduces child cognitive function and increases behavioral problems. This may limit children from reaching their full developmental potential. Lead exposure during pregnancy may also increase the risk of preterm birth and reduce fetal growth.

Studies show that children have higher blood lead levels in summer. In warm weather, windows (often painted with lead-based paint) are opened and closed more. This leads to increased lead dust in the air and on the ground.

Video Resources

Ways to reduce exposures to lead

Find out how you can make a difference in your child's health with these quick tips. Click the circle icons to view each tip.

Graphic art of a house with multiple rooms, basement and garage

Our Lead Programs

Imagine a Day Without Clean Water: Middle School English Language Learners Advocate for Clean Water for All

This curriculum was written by Sondra Gonzalez as part of Dr. Howarth’s class for the Teachers Institute of Philadelphia for middle school English language learners and will help students gain knowledge about the water cycle, worldwide water quality, common contaminants, and the drinking water treatment process in the United States.

Workshops and Continuing Education for Researchers

To enhance basic research skills that pertain to children’s environmental health, we will strongly encourage early-stage investigators and researchers to enroll in workshops and continuing education courses.