Headlines about lead found in drinking water in Flint, Michigan, and more recently at Boston public schools are alarming, and highlight the significant danger posed by this heavy metal.
Here at home, the bigger threat of lead poisoning is most commonly found where children live; 78 percent of Massachusetts homes were built before 1978, when lead was banned from house paint.
Homes in disrepair, poorly maintained rental property and do-it-yourself home improvement projects are common sources of paint dust and chips that are the primary means of lead exposure.
Lead dust can simply be released by opening and shutting old painted windows. According to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, “lead dust covers surfaces and objects that children touch and clings to their hands and toys. Children ingest lead dust when they put their hands or toys in their mouths, normal behavior for all young children.”
Levels of blood lead as low as 5 micrograms per deciliter are considered “elevated” by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and can cause lower IQs, attention deficit, brain damage and behavioral problems. Studies suggest causation between high lead levels and adverse social behavior. There is no safe level of lead.
Massachusetts laws need to be updated to reflect current understanding of the deleterious effects of lead.
Rep. Jeffrey Sanchez, D-Jamaica Plain, has authored House Bill 2049, An Act Relative to Lead Abatement, which calls for lowering the state standard level of lead poisoning from an outdated 25 to 10 micrograms per deciliter of blood.
This critical change would help identify affected children and ensure they get proper medical attention before lead poisoning causes permanent and irreparable brain damage. It will increase the availability of state resources to reduce future exposure to lead.
Mary Olberding
Belchertown
The author is the register of deeds for Hampshire County.