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Public Health Solutions
District Health Department
995 East Hwy 33, Ste 1
Crete, NE 68333-2562
888.310.0565
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Lead Exposure - Still a Current Event
Exposure to Lead (Pb) is commonly thought of as a historical problem that has more or less been solved with the removal of lead from gasoline and the banning of lead from housepaint and most consumer products. However, many homes still contain large quantities of lead-based paint from before the ban, which can deteriorate over time and become accessible to occupants. The most common source of lead exposure today is house dust, where lead-based paint crumbles into a fine dust that blows or is tracked indoors onto sills, floors, toys, etc.
Not only is lead exposure a current issue, recent research also suggests that lower levels of exposure are more harmful to children than previously thought. For these reasons, Public Health Solutions begins case management for childhood lead exposure when a child reaches 5 ug/dL or greater, including a home visit with environmental sampling to identify lead hazards for children at 10 ug/dL or higher. This is a progressive approach based on our mission of disease prevention and the most up to date research on the effects of childhood lead exposure.
Children at high risk for lead exposure should be tested annually starting at age 1 and continuing through age 6. Federal Medicaid law requires that enrolled children are tested for lead at age 1 and 2, and again at ages 3, 4, and 5 if risk factors are present or there is no history of previous tests.
Other resources:
Biological Fate overview
Screening tool for parents in the waiting room, English and Spanish (Excel, 2 worksheets)
Info sheet for parents in the waiting room, English and Spanish (Powerpoint)
Guide for health care providers
Supporting research
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