Tuesday, April 06, 1999
Study: Dust control doesn't affect lead exposure
BY EARNEST WINSTON
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Controlling dust doesn't prevent lead exposure for children, a study by a researcher at Children's Hospital Medical Center has concluded.
There was no significant difference in the blood-lead levels of children whose families performed targeted dust control and those who didn't, the study found. The cleaning is effective, the research showed, if combined with abatement performed by pro fessional cleaners.
The study, published in April's edition of the journal Pediatrics, is the first to examine primary prevention of residential lead exposure in children.
Lead toxicity is defined as blood-lead level of at least 10 micrograms per deciliter. About 15 percent of preschool children in Cincinnati have a blood lead level beyond 10 micrograms per deciliter, compared with 4.4 percent nationally, said Dr. Bruce Lanphear, an associate professor of pediatrics at Children's and the study's main author. “(Lead exposure) is ... one of the two major environmental issues in this country,” said Dr. Lanphear. The other is asthma.
Past studies have linked exposure to lead-laced paint dust to lower IQ scores, diminished school performance, behavior problems, stunted growth and hearing problems.
Dr. Lanphear, a national expert on childhood lead exposure, said his study points out the need to ensure that lead-exposure prevention efforts are safe and effective.
In January, data from an environmental health conference at the Museum Center showed children in six Cincinnati neighborhoods still face serious lead-poisoning hazards.
“Since the harm from lead persists, trying to fix the problem after the child has a high blood lead test is absurd,” said Dr. Lanphear. “We need to expand our efforts to screen housing, identify lead hazards and repair (houses) before a child is exposed. Lead poisoning occurs because housing is in substandard condition, not because families don't clean adequately.”
The study involved 275 urban children, beginning at 6 months old.
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