This year Lawrence had 20 children whose blood lead levels exceeded the limit of 20 parts per deciliter, Haverhill had 9, and Lowell had 21, according to numbers released this month by the Massachusetts Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program. Lead is an environmental toxin identified as particularly hazardous to children, in whom it can cause behavioral and neurological problems. Removing lead from gasoline in recent years alleviated much of the problem in the U.S., but dust from older lead-based paint continues to be a major concern. Health experts say some of the biggest risks from lead poisoning today arise from dust created by renovations and from opening and closing windows and doors coated with lead-based paint.
Children can suffer large exposures without exhibiting symptoms.
The only accurate way to determine the amount of exposure is by a blood test screening, usually done in the form of a fingerstick. For any high-risk community in Massachusetts that has significant percentages of older housing, which is true of many of communities that make up the Merrimack Valley, it's very important for children to be screened. It's the only way to know a child's lead level or exposure. And it's very important for them to be screened regularly from a young age,'' said Paul N. Hunter, director of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program. While lead poisoning is on the decline both locally and statewide, there is more work to be done, especially with educating the public about the need for yearly screenings for children until age 6, leaders say.