Effort to Reduce Lead Poisoning in Children Has AIHA Thinking Globally

Effort to Reduce Lead Poisoning in Children Has AIHA Thinking Globally Recommendations to reduce lead exposure to help prevent lead poisoning among children in developing countries have been announced in a recent press release issued by the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA).

The reference document, based upon a recently conducted case study, looks at conditions in states of the former Soviet Union and describes the latest scientific approaches to promoting health in several countries in Eastern Europe, Caucasus, and Central Asia.

The aim is to "identify methods to promote safe and healthy communities and improve understanding among international experts in environmental and public health programs involving lead poisoning in children."

Here are the highlights of the press release, "AIHA Releases Recommendations on Lead Poisoning Prevention Among Children in Developing Countries":

The release includes background information, as quoted by Andrey Korchevskiy, PhD, director of research and development at Chemistry & Industrial Hygiene, Inc., in Wheat Ridge, CO.

"Childhood lead poisoning is a serious problem that in the last few decades has significantly changed its geographical focus. In developed countries, the situation has been managed successfully, but in the developing world, it has worsened with the size of contaminated territories and the number of affected children increasing. This document is one of the first attempts to provide perspectives on international lead hazard recognition, exposure evaluation, prevention, and treatment."


The AIHA claims that lead exposure in many developing countries has been underestimated. Although the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently reduced the reference level for children's blood lead levels (BBL) from 10 micrograms of lead per deciliter (µg/dL) down to 5 µg/dL, the case study found children's BLL exceeded 20 µg/dL, and in some cases the levels exceeded 100 µg/dL.

The authors suggest the CDC's reduced reference level of children's BLL implies that "lead contamination will remain an important public health priority in developed, as well as developing, countries."

"Lead contamination is particularly dangerous because it targets a vulnerable age group and its impact starts at very low levels of exposure" writes the AIHA. "Lead poisoning can cause several hidden, non-specific and irreversible neurological, neurobehavioral, developmental, hematologic, renal, cardiovascular, immunological, and skeletal health problems."

Read the full AIHA press release here.

The reference document, titled "Community/Child Lead Exposure in Developing and Emerging Economies: A Case Study of Lead Contamination in Eastern Europe/the Caucasus/Central Asia" is available here.

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