Exposure to Lead
People can be exposed to lead through breathing it in, contact with skin, and by eating it. Common examples of lead exposure include ingesting or inhaling lead from paint chips and eating vegetables grown in soil containing lead. Children are at an increased risk of exposure because they are more likely to put things in their mouths and are closer to the ground. Lead exposure disproportionately affects children because their brains are still developing.
Health Effects
Lead can cause damage to many parts of the body. In particular, lead targets the nervous system. Lead exposure can lead to adverse health effects, including learning disabilities, behavioral issues and mental retardation.
The Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) recommends that all children under 7 get tested for blood lead levels. More detailed information can be found at https://www.achd.net/lead/screening.html.
Lead in Gardens
People can be exposed to lead by eating food grown in contaminated soil. Urban soil may be contaminated because of paint chipping off of older buildings and industrial emissions deposited in soil. It’s important to test soil before gardening. Information on soil testing from ACHD can be found on their website. Creating raised beds is an alternative solution. Raised beds use purchased soil instead of possibly contaminated soil.
Reducing Your Exposure
ACHD’s recommendations for reducing lead exposure include washing children’s hands and toys, cleaning surfaces to prevent dust and having kids play in sandboxes instead of soil. More advice on how to reduce exposures can be found at https://www.achd.net/lead/tips.html.
Additional Resources
Center for Disease Control and Prevention: https://ephtracking.cdc.gov/showLeadPoisoningEnv.action
Environmental Protection Agency: https://www2.epa.gov/lead/learn-about-lead#lead
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