Children’s Lead Exposure Report in Pennsylvania

(October 29, 2024)

The Pennsylvania Department of Health (PA DOH) recently released their annual childhood lead surveillance report, which outlines major progress, as well as more work to be done to prevent lead poisoning of children in PA.

Allies for Children works to advance policies that emphasize prevention of childhood lead poisoning at state and local levels. There is no safe level of lead exposure for children. Even low levels of exposure can result in developmental delays, and hearing and speech problems, which can result in hyperactivity and decreased performance in school. For this reason, in October 2021, the CDC updated the blood lead reference value (BLRV), which helps identify children with higher levels of lead in their blood compared to most children. The updated BLRV from 5.0 μg/dL to 3.5 μg/dL was implemented in PA in January 2022. The lowering of the reference value can help mitigate effects and remove exposures, and also better identifies children who require case management and support.

The annual DOH lead surveillance report covers data for children tested in Pennsylvania in 2022. This looks at the tested populations with confirmed Elevated Blood Lead Levels (EBLL), which are blood lead levels at or above the reference value. The report found that the percentage of children tested mostly increased annually since 2016 and that the percentage of children with a confirmed EBLL ≥ 5 µg/dL (measured in micrograms of lead per deciliter of blood) has mostly decreased annually since 2016. The outliers in years 2020 and 2021, respectively, are attributed to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

As part of the statewide coalition, Lead Free Promise Project, Allies for Children monitors opportunities to reduce children’s exposure to lead in the home. Reducing household lead exposure, with a focus on homes built before 1978, can prevent the harmful effects of lead exposure. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) both report that lead-based paint hazards in children’s homes, particularly deteriorated paint in the form of dust, are the main source of lead poisoning. Due to this, our coalition advocates to fund removal of lead paint in children’s homes, since this can be quite costly to families. In order to identify potential exposure and risk, we advocate to ensure every child in PA is tested before two years of age as per the CDC requirements.

According to the PA DOH report, Pittsburgh had the highest (46.43%) and the city of Bethlehem had the lowest (29.25%) lead testing rate for children 0-23 months old among major municipalities. The percentage of EBLL ≥ 3.5 μg/dL of those tested under age 2 was highest in the cities of Reading (12.29%), York (11.48%), and Lancaster (8.14%).

Through the federally funded Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program, PA DOH collaborates with six health departments in Allegheny, Chester, Montgomery, Luzerne, Lehigh, and York to reduce lead exposure and promote prevention.

The high percentage of tested children in Pittsburgh and Allegheny County may be attributed to several local initiatives and policies. In 2018, Allegheny County started universal lead testing. This regulation requires that children have two blood level tests before age two. Specifically, ACHD requires testing for lead exposure for all children at 9-12 months, and again at 24 months. Allegheny Lead-Safe Homes provides eligible families with free lead-paint testing and a certified lead-abatement contractor to mitigate or eliminate sources of dangerous paint. In 2021, the city of Pittsburgh passed a lead safety law, which focuses on routine inspection for lead in homes and child care facilities built before 1978 and requires lead remediation if lead is found.

Still, disparities exist in the percent tested for lead poisoning as well as among the percentage of children with confirmed EBLL ≥ 3.5 μg/dL in Allegheny County. Of the Hispanic population 0-23 months, only 34% were tested, and for Non-Hispanic Black or African American population 0-23 months, 41% were tested, compared to 47% for their non-Hispanic white counterparts. Among those who were tested, the percentage with confirmed EBLL ≥ 3.5 μg/dL highlights further disparities. For the Non-Hispanic Black population and the Hispanic population 0-23 months, 5% and 4% of the population tested had confirmed EBLL ≥ 3.5 μg/dL, respectively, compared to 1.5% of their Non-hispanic white counterparts. More work needs to be done to implement effective strategies to reach these populations and ensure that information is shared in a culturally-appropriate and community-centered manner.

Parents with young children, especially parents with children younger than 2 years, should contact their pediatrician for more information on lead testing. More information about lead exposure prevention and advocacy can be found at the Lead Free Promise Project.

Learn more about Allies for Children’s work in preventing childhood lead exposure here.

Cristina Codario, Allies for Children Policy Director