Abstract
Reducing all preventable lead exposures in children should be a public health priority given that blood lead levels in children that were once considered “safe” have since been associated with important neuro-developmental deficits. Limited Canadian data indicate that school drinking water can be an important component of children’s overall exposure to lead. Outside of Ontario, however, Canadian schools are not required to test for lead in water; in most of Canada, school testing is case by case, typically initiated by parental concerns. Provinces and territories are encouraged to follow Ontario’s example by instituting a routine school water lead testing program in order to identify facilities where action can result in a decrease in students’ exposure to lead. Testing and remediation frameworks developed by the US Environmental Protection Agency, Health Canada, and the province of Ontario provide direction to school boards and local and provincial/territorial health authorities.
Key Words: Lead, drinking water, schools
Résumé
La réduction de toutes les expositions au plomb évitables chez les enfants doit être une priorité de santé publique. En effet, des plombémies chez l’enfant autrefois considérées comme sans danger ont depuis été associées à d’importants déficits neuro-développementaux. Des données canadiennes limitées indiquent que l’eau potable en milieu scolaire peut représenter une part importante de l’exposition globale des enfants au plomb. Toutefois, à l’exception de l’Ontario, les écoles canadiennes ne sont pas tenues d’analyser l’eau potable pour y déceler la présence de plomb. Dans la majeure partie du pays, l’eau en milieu scolaire est testée de manière ponctuelle, généralement à la suite d’inquiétudes exprimées par les parents. Les provinces et les territoires sont invités à suivre l’exemple de l’Ontario en instaurant un programme systématique de tests visant à déterminer la présence de plomb dans l’eau en milieu scolaire, afin de cibler les infrastructures où une intervention pourrait aboutir à la réduction de l’exposition des élèves au plomb. Les cadres relatifs aux tests et aux mesures d’atténuation mis au point par l’Agence de protection de l’environnement des États-Unis, par Santé Canada et par la province de l’Ontario peuvent guider les conseils scolaires et les autorités sanitaires provinciales et territoriales à cet égard.
Mots Clés: plomb, eau potable, écoles
Footnotes
Source of Funding and Disclaimer: The National Collaborating Centre for Environmental Health is funded by the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC). Opinions expressed in this article, however, should not be taken as representing PHAC policy.
Conflict of Interest: None to declare.
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