Recent recalls of toys made in China have brought another reminder that lead-based paint continues to threaten the health of children. The toy paint, however, is not the major lead-related hazard.
“Lead is common in our environment and many individuals, especially children, show no outward signs of lead poisoning,” said Renee E. Hively, public health manager at the Flint Hills Community Health Center.
Hively said that the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta say that lead poisoning is one of today’s major environmental hazards — and that it is preventable.
Lead levels as low as 210 micrograms per deciliter can have harmful effects on children’s learning and behavior. Levels of 70 micrograms per deciliter, in a child, can cause seizures, coma and even death, she said.
Hively and associates at the center will offer free lead-level blood tests for children ages 6 and under next week during Lead Poisoning Prevention Week. Free testing for children will be done at the health center, 420 West 15th Ave., from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, Oct. 26.
Many children are exposed to lead through their environments, and Hively provided a list of potential sources of exposure:
- Living in or regularly visiting a house or apartment built before 1960.
- Living in or regularly visiting a building constructed before 1960 and undergoing ongoing, previous, or planned renovation.
- A family member with an elevated blood lead level.
- Interacting with an adult whose job or hobby involves lead, such as battery factory, stained glass, or steel smelting; living near such activities also poses a threat.
- Using pottery, ceramics or crystalware for cooking, eating or drinking.
People who fit into any of those criteria are urged to have a blood lead level test.