Educating Communities, Families, and High School Students About Lead Exposure as a Public Health Problem

Editor’s Note:

The National Environmental Health Association strives to provide up-to-date and relevant information on environmental health and to build partnerships in the profession. In pursuit of these goals, we feature this column on environmental health services from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in every issue of the Journal.

In these columns, authors from CDC’s Water, Food, and Environmental Health Services Branch, as well as guest authors, will share tools, resources, and guidance for environmental health practitioners. The conclusions in these columns are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official position of CDC.

Dr. Tanya Telfair LeBlanc is a senior health scientist/epidemiologist. Dr. Perri Ruckart is a health scientist and team lead. Shannon Omisore serves as a health communication specialist. All work in the Lead Poisoning Prevention and Environmental Health Tracking Branch at CDC.

One major public health achievement in the U.S. is lead exposure reduction among children but many remain at risk. Lead is a naturally occurring metal that has become a widespread environmental health hazard due to its broad use in industrial and commercial applications. Exposure to lead can seriously harm the health of children. The effects can include damage to the brain and nervous system, slowed growth and development, and learning and behavior problems. No safe blood lead level has been identified and adverse health effects have been documented for very low-level exposures. Children younger than 6 years are especially vulnerable because of their hand-to-mouth behavior and rapidly developing brains and nervous systems (LeBlanc et al., 2022; Wani et al., 2015). Though lead was banned in house paint in 1978 and in gasoline for on-road vehicles in 1996, additional routes of exposure have been identified.

Increasing lead use in industries and the expansion of global trade have opened additional exposure routes. Lead has been traditionally found in plumbing pipes, in paint in older homes, and in industries such as construction, mining, and manufacturing (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2023). Toys, jewelry, cosmetics, food, and products imported from other countries might also contain lead, which has attracted additional attention with the expansion of global trade. Parents employed in industries that use lead (such as automotive repair and construction work) or those engaged in certain hobbies (such as hunting, fishing, and some arts and crafts) can inadvertently bring traces of lead into the home or vehicles on shoes or clothing. This situation can create potential risks to young children. Lead exposure is still a public health threat with long-term consequences for children, families, and society—but it may be under-recognized.

Children within populations with lower access to economic and social advantages or who live in lower-income households bear a disproportionate risk of exposure because they are more likely to live in housing built before 1978, which could contain leaded paint and plumbing (Woolf & Brown, 2022). Children might also lack access to foods rich in iron and calcium, which could block lead absorption (Hauptman et al., 2022). Additional populations, such as children who are recent immigrants or refugees, might be exposed to risks such as imported goods with high levels of lead.

Working With Partners to Raise Awareness About Lead

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in partnership with the American Academy of Pediatrics, developed two community lead exposure prevention education videos suitable for posting online, sharing on social media, and disseminating via other opportunities to reach general audiences. These videos provide brief overviews of what lead is, where it is found, and why it is important to protect young children from exposure. One video was created for high school students at the 10th grade level. The language and content are specifically crafted to appeal to the 15–16-year age group. The other video is designed for parents, teachers, and people employed in many occupations that would benefit from this information, including real estate agents, plumbers, construction workers, and others.

Closed captions for the hearing impaired and 508 compliant versions for the visually impaired are available for each video. The videos are posted on the CDC website and include links to resources that can be shared via newsletters, through listservs, and in webinars and conferences. The videos are posted at www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/resources/lead-poisoning-prevention-training.htm.

The videos include:

• Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Education: Heads Up for High Schoolers

  Using graphics and age-appropriate narration, this animated video shows how and where people can be exposed to lead. It also demonstrates how lead poisoning is harmful to children, adolescents, and adults. It begins with a definition of lead (Figure 1) and where it is found in the environment. The content demonstrates that lead exposure is harmful to everyone and affects multiple organs in the body, including the brain, kidneys, liver, blood, and reproductive systems. The video emphasizes that children under 6 years are most vulnerable to lead.

  In addition, the video takes an in-depth, room-by-room tour of a sample home and points out different places that can be a potential source of lead exposure (Figure 2). The content also provides a comprehensive list of occupations and industries known for potential lead exposure and other sources of exposure including toys, jewelry, and cosmetics. The video also shares a list of action items for adolescents to get involved in preventing lead exposure.

• Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention: Information for the Community

  The purpose of this video is to show that lead exposure is a major public health problem and to highlight its continuing impact on children and adults (Figure 3). It reviews the sources of lead exposure, the major short- and long-term health outcomes of exposure, and how to help protect children from lead exposure.

  Some of the highlights include the adverse effects of lead poisoning by blood lead level and the impact lead exposure has on adults and children. The video describes age-specific developmental impacts on children affected by lead exposure, from preschool through high school, which include attention deficits to high-risk behaviors. In addition, the video provides information for home buyers, renters, and landlords regarding potential exposures in housing. It also describes lead-safe behaviors, including dietary recommendations and handwashing (Figure 4).

FIGURE 1.

Definition and Information About Lead

FIGURE 2.

Example of the Room-by-Room Tour of a Home That Points Out Potential Sources of Lead Exposure

FIGURE 3.

Impact of Lead Exposure on Children and Adults

FIGURE 4.

Lead-Safe Behaviors

Knowledge and Awareness Is Essential to Prevention

Many parents and caregivers of children, as well as the general public, may not be aware that childhood lead poisoning is still a public health threat with long-term negative consequences for children, families, and society. The good news is that lead poisoning is preventable. Awareness and education are important components for initiating behavior changes and taking actions to prevent lead exposure at the community level (Arlinghaus & Johnston, 2018). These videos take a much-needed step toward health equity and promote health self-advocacy related to lead exposure in populations that can benefit the most.

Did You Know?

Our new Health in All Policies (HiAP) Preparedness Guide provides a framework to take a HiAP approach to public health preparedness to improve the depth and effectiveness of collaboration at all stages of a response. Environmental public health officials can use the HiAP framework detailed in our guide to create a multisector approach to disaster preparedness. Visit www.neha.org/hiappreparedness-guide to view the guide and download the available worksheets.

Biographies

Tanya Telfair LeBlanc, PhD

Perri Ruckart, DrPH

Shannon Omisore, MA