Children living in urban areas of Indianapolis and other cities are exposed every summer to a silent and invisible toxin that can have serious health consequences, says an Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis scientist.
The evidence from the study shows that a mysterious seasonal increase in child blood lead levels observed in urban areas throughout the U.S. is caused by children inadvertently ingesting or breathing dust contaminated with fine lead particles when they play outside in July, August and September, said, Gabriel Filippelli, an earth sciences professor in the School of Science at IUPUI and director of the Center for Urban Health.
The evidence also confirms that the primary source for widespread lead poisoning is airborne dust, not lead-based paint.
In late summer, wind, a lack of rainfall and other meteorological factors increase the amounts of dust in the air. Lead levels in children increase, often by more than 50 percent, in the summer but decrease during the winter and spring.
Persistent exposure to airborne lead contamination year after year leads to chronic lead poisoning, Filippelli said. There is a lot of health evidence that the effects of chronic lead poisoning include lowering children’s IQs and increasing the rate of attention deficit disorders.
One solution is too expensive when it involves large areas. But there are steps parents can take to protect their children, Filippelli said. Those steps include:
n Plant grass in the family yard and water it throughout the summer to make sure it keeps dust to a minimum.
n Cover areas next to the house, where lead levels often are the highest, with a thick layer of mulch.
n Have children leave their shoes at the door when they come inside from playing, and make sure they wash their hands.
Filippelli and others recommend that the federal government shift its emphasis from cleaning lead-based paint from homes to aggressive landscaping techniques to improve children’s health.
