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Sources of Lead Exposure

  • Drinking water: Wisconsin water utilities have already identified more than 176,000 lead service lines that are publicly owned, along with more than 148,000 private lead lines. (1)

  • Paint: The most widespread source of lead exposure in U.S. children in lead-based paint and varnishes. Most commonly, children are exposed when paint chips off and becomes toxic dust that settles on toys or other items. However, children may also lick or bite paints or wood varnishes that can be found on trim, doors, or floors.

  • Products: Toys and jewelry, especially those passed down through generations or from countries outside the U.S. may be contain lead or lead paint. Some cosmetics or ceremonial powders may also contain lead.

  • Soil:  Lead contamination in soils can have both natural and human sources. Human-caused sources include, lead paint on the exterior of houses, leaded gasoline, and industrial emissions. People become exposed through gardening or childhood play, soils may be tracked into the house on shoes, or through consumption of foods grown in gardens with contamination.

  • Air: Lead is an indoor and outdoor air pollutant. Inside, lead can get into the air when lead contaminated dust or soil blows from fans, windows, or vacuums. Facility emissions from various industries, such as iron and steel production, also produce toxic lead emissions in outdoor environments.

  • Food: Lead has been discovered in some spices and candies originating from outside the U.S. Foods grown in gardens with contaminated soil are also a source of exposure.

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Health Impacts

Health effects of lead on children:

  • Hearing loss (2)

  • Lower IQs and test scores (3)

  • Developmental delays in speech and language (4)

  • Behavior changes (i.e. restless, impulsive, aggressive) (2,3,4)

  • Emotional changes (i.e. anxiety or depression) (5)

Adolescents and adults exposed as children are at higher risk for:

  • Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (6)

  • Depression and panic attacks (7)

  • Teen pregnancy (6)

  • Violent and criminal behavior, adults are 50% more likely to be arrested for every 5 micrograms per deciliter (mcg/dL) of lead in blood. (6, 8, 9)

  • Poor upright balance, coordination, and motor skills, increasing their long-term injury risk (10)

  • Kidney disease (11)

  • Hypertension (12)

  • Risk of early death from heart attack and stroke (13, 14)

  • Memory loss or cognitive problems (15)

Health impacts lead exposure on reproduction:

  • Delayed puberty in girls (16)

  • Testicular disfunction in men (17)

  • Hypertension during pregnancy (18)

  • Spontaneous abortion, preterm delivery, and lower birth weights (19, 20, 21)

  • DNA impacts can affect fetal cells of children and even grandchildren (22)

In studies comparing Milwaukee children, UW-Madison researchers showed that students who experience led poisoning before age 3 were at a considerable educational disadvantage compared to their peers.  By the time they reached fourth grade, they scored below fourth grade ability and were more likely to be suspended (23, 24). This research found that early childhood lead exposure explained 23% of the "discipline gap" between African American and white children. Disproportionate geographic lead exposure rates can also impacted school funding as it impacts test stores and behavior in students.

DHS warns about lead poisoning risk for Wisconsin children

WBAY (October 26, 2020)

With more kids spending time around the home and with less children going to the doctor for wellness visits during the COVID-19 pandemic, health official worry about lead exposure. More than 350,000 homes in Wisconsin are estimated to have lead-based hazards.

Millions of American children missing early lead tests, Reuters finds

Reuters (June 9, 2016)

About 500,000 U.S. children under age six have dangerous blood lead levels of 5 micrograms per deciliter or higher, but millions of other children go completely untested, making it difficult for researchers to understand the true extent lead’s public health impacts.

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LEAD IN THE NEWS

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EPA Unveils New Lead Regulations

Wisconsin Public Radio (October 2, 2020)

The EPA's action level isn't based on medical research. No amount of lead is known to be safe.

Lead Levels Below EPA Limits Can Still Impact Your Health

NPR (August, 2016)

The EPA's action level isn't based on medical research. No amount of lead is known to be safe.

First in the nation: City of Madison replaced all lead pipes

Wisconsin Watch (February 1, 2016)

With the completion of a decade long program, the Madison Water Utility became the first major utility in the nation to demonstrate that a full replacement of both the public and the private portions of lead service lines was possible.

Green Bay Replaces Every Lead Pipe

Urban Milwaukee (October 7, 2020)

Green Bay Water Utility is celebrating the finish of a five-year-project that replaced 1,781 utility-owned and 247 privately-owned lead service lines.

Lead Exposure Has Terrifying Effects on Grown-Ups, Too

Mother Jones (March 7, 2016)

Even low-level exposures in adults can harm your heart, brain, kidneys, and reproductive system.

Sources Cited:

1. Danielle Kaeding. Oct 2nd, 2020. “EPA Unveils New Lead Regulations.” Wisconsin Public Radio, Urban Milwaukee; https://urbanmilwaukee.com/2020/10/02/epa-unveils-new-lead-regulations/

2.    Brubaker CJ, Schmithorst VJ, Haynes EN, Dietrich, KN, Egelhoff JC, Lindquist DM, Lanphear BP, Cecil, KM. "Altered myelination and axonal integrity in adults with childhood lead exposure: a diffusion tensor imaging study." Neurotoxicology. 2009;30(6):867-875.

3.    Bellinger DC, Stiles KM, Needleman HL., Holland. "Low-level lead exposure, intelligence and academic achievement: a long-term follow-up study." Pediatrics. 1992;90(6):855-61.

4.    Chandramouli K, Steer CD, Ellis M, Emond AM. "Effects of early childhood lead exposure on academic performance and behaviour of school age children." Archives Disabled Child. 2009;94(11):844-8.

5.      Liu J, Liu X, Wang W, McCauley L, Pinto-Martin J, Wang Y, Li L, Yan C, Rogan WJ. 2014. "Blood lead levels and children’s behavioral and emotional problems: a cohort study." Journal of American Medical Association of Pediatricians. 2014;168(8):737-45.

6.     Wolpaw Reyes J. "Lead exposure and behavior: effects on antisocial and risky behavior among children and adolescents." Economic Inquiry. 2015;53(3):1580-1605.

7.     Bouchard MF, Bellinger DC, Weuve J, Matthews-Bellinger J, Gilman SE, Wright RO, Schwartz J, Weisskopf MG. "Blood lead levels and major depressive disorder, panic disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder in US young adults." Archives of General Psychiatry. 2009:66(12):131-9.

8.     Nevin R. "Understanding international crime trends: the legacy of preschool lead exposure." Environmental Research. 2007;104(3):315-36.

9.     Wright JP, Dietrich KN, Ris MD, Hornung RW, Wessel SD, Lanphear BP, Ho M, Rae MN. "Association of prenatal and childhood blood lead concentrations with criminal arrests in early adulthood." PLoS Medicine. 2008;27(5):e101.

10.  Kincl LD, Dietrich, KN, Bhattacharya A. "Injury trends for adolescents with early childhood lead exposure." Journal of Adolescent Health. 2006;39(4):604-6.

11.  Fadrowski JJ, Navas-Acien A, Tellez-Plaza M, Guallar E, Weaver VM, Furth SL. "Blood lead level and kidney function in US adolescents: the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey." Archives of Internal Medicine. 201;170(1):75-82.

12.  Navas-Acien A, Guallar E, Silbergeld EK, Rothenberg SJ. "Lead exposure and cardiovascular disease—a systematic review." Environmental Health Perspectives. 2007;116(3):472-82.

13.  Tsong-Hai L, Mei-Chun T, Chi-Jen C, Ja-Liang L. "Association of high body lead store with severe intracranial carotid atherosclerosis." NeuroToxicology. 2009;30(6):876-80.

14.   Lanphear BP, Rauch S, Auinger P, Allen RW, Hornung RW. "Low-level lead exposure and mortality in US adults: a population-based cohort study." Lancet Journal of Public Health. 2018;3(4):e177-e184.

15.  Shi RA, Glass TA, Bandeen-Roche K, Carlson MC, Bolla KI, Toss AC, Schwartz BS. "Environmental lead exposure and cognitive function in community-dwelling adults." Neurology. 2006;67(9):1556-62.

16.  Wu T, Buck GM, Mendola P. "Blood lead levels and sexual maturation in US girls: the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Study." Environmental Health Perspectives. 2003;111(5):737-41.

17.  Rodamilans M, Osaba MJ, To-Fugueras J, Rivera Fillat F, Marques JM, Pérez P, Corbella. "Lead toxicity on endocrine testicular dysfunction in an occupationally exposed population." Human Toxicology. 1998;7(2):125-8.

18.  Yazbeck C, Thiebaugeorges O, Moreau T, Goua V, Debotte G, Sahuquillo J, Forhan A, Foliguet B, Magnin G, Slama R, Charles MA, Huel G. "Maternal blood lead levels and risk of pregnancy-induced hypertension: the EDEN cohort study." Environmental Health Perspectives. 2009;117(10):1526-30.

19.  Borja-Aburto VH, Hertz-Picciotto I, Rojas Lopez M, Farias P, Rios C, Blanco. "Blood lead levels measured prospectively and risk of spontaneous abortion." American Journal of Epidemiology. 1999;150(6):590-7.

20.  Jeliffe-Pawlowski LL, Miles SQ. Courtney JG, Materna B, Charlton V. "Effect of magnitude and timing of maternal pregnancy blood lead (Pb) levels on birth outcomes." Journal of Perinatology. 2006;26(3):154-62.

21.  Zhu M, Fitzgerald EF, Gelberg KH, Lin S, Druschel CM. "Maternal low-level lead exposure and fetal growth." Environmental Health Perspectives. 201;118(10):1471-5.

22.  Goodrich JM, Sanchez BN, Dolinoy DC, Zhang Z, Hernandez-Avila M, Hu H, Peterson KE, Tellez-Rojo MM. "Quality Control and statistical modeling for environmental epigenetics: a study on in utero lead exposure and DNA methylation at birth." Epigenetics. 2015:10(1):19-30.

23. Amato MS, Moore CF, Magzamen S, Imm P, Havlena JA, Anderson HA, Kanarek MS. "Lead exposure and educational proficiency: moderate lead exposure and educational proficiency on end-of-grade examinations." Annuals of Epidemiology. 2012;22(10):738-43.

24.Amato MS, Magzamen S, Imm P, Havlena JA, Anderson HA, Kanarek MS, Moore CF. "Early lead exposure (<3 years old) prospectively predicts fourth grade school suspension in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (USA)." Environmental Research. 2013;126:60-5.