GALVESTON — Most children never show any signs of having lead poisoning.
But by the time they’re 1 year old, they can have ingested enough of the toxin to develop behavioral problems, attention disorders, difficulty learning, hearing impairment and a higher probability of criminal activity in later life.
Most parents have their children’s blood-lead levels checked only if they suspect they might have been exposed. And most children don’t seem sick.
Most of the blood-lead level tests given in Galveston are part of routine Medicaid exams.
Current guidelines list the threshold for concern at 10 micrograms per deciliter, but recent studies have shown much less lead can cause damage.
The Centers for Disease Control must be notified of any recorded levels greater than 2 micrograms.
Wayne Snodgrass, a pharmacology professor at the University of Texas Medical Branch and a member of the National Committee on Lead Poisoning and Prevention, said a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2003 showed children with blood lead levels between 1 and 10 micrograms could lose as many as 7.4 IQ points.
Every increase by 10 micrograms after that shaves off another 4 IQ points, he said.
The Intelligence Quotient test scale ranges from 40 to 175 with most people scoring between 85 and 114.
Once a child is poisoned, the damage cannot be reversed, although some researchers believe intense educational therapy can help make up for some of the loss.
In severe poisoning cases, where blood-lead levels are higher than 45 micrograms, the Centers for Disease Control recommend chelation treatment.
Most lower lead levels are not treated medically, but health workers usually do an environmental assessment to find the source of the lead and recommend ways to remove as much of it as possible.
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Lead Through The Years
• 1904 — An Australian doctor published the first warning of the toxic effect of lead-based paint in children.
• 1909 — France, Belgium and Austria become the first countries to ban leaded paint.
• 1970s — U.S. begins phasing out lead in gasoline.
• 1978 — Lead is banned in residential paint.
• October 1993 — Galveston Catholic School closed its playground because of moderate lead contamination.
• November 1993 — The city of Galveston closes Menard and Crockett parks because of lead contamination.
• December 1993 — Galveston adopts a lead paint ordinance to help prevent lead contamination during paint removal and building remodeling projects.
• July 1994 — Seven workers are exposed to toxic levels of lead while sandblasting lead-based paint from the Clark and Court Building, 2402 Mechanic St.
• 1998 — The state of Rhode Island gets $206 million from three paint companies to remove lead-based paint hazards from public buildings accessible to children.
