Blood lead levels – News, Research and Analysis – The Conversation

When lead-based paint blisters and cracks, lead dust may be released in the air. Douglas Rissing/iStock via Getty Images Plus

March 7, 2024

Lead from old paint and pipes is still a harmful and deadly hazard in millions of US homes

Aaron Specht, Purdue University

Although the US banned lead-based paint in 1978, homes built before then commonly contain lead paint.

Childhood exposure to lead can limit cognitive development and cause a drop in IQ. Yamasan/iStock via Getty Images Plus

September 7, 2023

Secondhand smoke may be a substantial contributor to lead levels found in children and adolescents, new study finds

Genny Carrillo, Texas A&M University and Taehyun Roh, Texas A&M University

Researchers found that children exposed to secondhand smoke had higher than average levels of lead in their blood.

Workers prepare to install new water pipes in Walnut Creek, California, on April 22, 2021. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

December 17, 2021

The US is making plans to replace all of its lead water pipes from coast to coast

Gabriel Filippelli, IUPUI

It will cost tens of billions of dollars to find and remove all the lead service lines that deliver water to US homes and schools. A public health expert explains why he sees it as money well spent.

Testing kids for lead exposure starts with a fingertip prick. Brett Carlsen/Getty Images

November 12, 2021

A new, lower threshold for lead poisoning in children means more kids will get tested – but the ultimate solution is eliminating lead sources

Gabriel Filippelli, IUPUI

The Centers for Disease Control has announced a new, stricter standard for lead poisoning in children, which will more than double the number of kids considered to have high blood lead levels.

A worker recycling lead in a lead acid battery recovery facility. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

May 15, 2019

Tooth fairy study reveals children near lead smelters are exposed to dangerous lead in the womb

Jill Johnston, University of Southern California

Lead contamination is not just a problem for Flint, Michigan. It is an issue in many regions. One epidemiologist figured out how to measure past lead exposure using treasured biological samples.

Shooters exposed to lead at work over long periods of time, like military personnel in firing ranges, risk a range of medical complaints.

April 5, 2017

People who shoot risk unhealthy levels of lead exposure

Mark A.S. Laidlaw, RMIT University; Andrew Ball, RMIT University; Brian Gulson, Macquarie University; Gabriel Filippelli, IUPUI, and Howard Walter Mielke, Tulane University

Millions of people who shoot, for work or leisure, risk lead poisoning, according to new research.

The researchers found no link between lead exposure in childhood and fraud. AAP Image/Dave Hunt

February 16, 2016

Child lead exposure linked to aggressive crime later in life: study

Ivy Shih, The Conversation

A new study has linked childhood exposure to lead in air and the likelihood of aggressive crimes related to impulsive behaviours in later life.

Pregnant women in three Australian cities are not told that lead exposure during pregnancy is linked to miscarriage and early delivery. Flickr/Luca Montanari

January 11, 2016

Pregnant women and parents misled about dangers of living with lead pollution

Marianne Sullivan, William Paterson University and Donna Green, UNSW Sydney

Parents in three Australian states are being given misleading advice about the dangers of lead to babies and small children – including failing to warn pregnant women about miscarriage risks.

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