Prevention is key

Mandated testing for lead poisoning is not enough

One year in on a countywide initiative to test children for lead exposure, we’ve learned that more kids than we may have imagined presented elevated levels of the poison, which has irreversible and lifelong impacts.

The incidence rate of lead exposure among children in Allegheny County took center stage in late August when Gov. Tom Wolf came to Pittsburgh to tout what should be obvious: Blood testing of infants and toddlers should be mandated throughout Pennsylvania. And that is not enough. Prevention is even more important.

Even low levels of lead have been definitively linked to trouble. Lead in a child’s blood has been correlated to decreased IQ and attention deficits.

Nevertheless, only about

30% of children in Pennsylvania are tested.

Mr. Wolf disclosed during his visit that Pennsylvania has the sixth-highest percentage of children who have been officially diagnosed as suffering from lead poisoning. The actual incidence rate is undoubtedly higher, given the lack of testing.

Allegheny County launched required testing in January 2018. The protocol involves pricking the finger of a child once between the ages of 9 and 12 months then again at age 2. In the first year of the testing program, 23,057 children put a finger forward. Elevated levels of lead — at least 5 micrograms of lead per deciliter of blood — were confirmed in 480 children. No amount of lead is safe, but the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has 5 micrograms as the reference level for poisoning.

Lead exposure in childhood can pose lifelong struggles. The CDC warns that preventing exposure is critical.

Paint and dust in homes built

before 1978 are the most common sources of lead exposure. Steps to reduce lead exposure are as simple as using cold water for drinking and cooking, and dusting well the surfaces of a home.

Lead was banned from paint and consumer goods produced and sold in the U.S. in 1978. Older buildings? They are at risk of producing lead in the form of dust and paint chips. Another common source of lead contamination is water pipes soldered with lead which can leach into water. There are plenty of old water pipes in old cities and boroughs.

Getting to the true source of the problem costs money for municipalities and taxpayers. For example, Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority is in the midst of a lead water pipe replacement program that is costing millions and will take at least until 2024 to complete.

The governor is asking lawmakers to support universal lead testing in children. Several bills are pending, some dealing with regulations for rental housing as well as lead in the plumbing systems of school buildings.

The best measures will include funding not only for testing but also for workforce training in lead abatement and remediation.

In the meantime, county governments throughout the state should follow the lead of Allegheny County and initiate a testing program. School districts should get involved with their own water testing program. Pediatricians should make it part of their well-baby visits to inform parents of the dangers of lead. And obstetricians should alert soon-to-be-mothers that baby-proofing their home should involve a tutorial about lead mitigation and the dangers of lead poisoning.

Testing is important. Prevention is critical.