Lead poisoning is the number one environmental threat to children. At low levels it harms development, damages blood cells, and lowers IQ. At higher levels, it damages the nervous system, kidneys, reproductive system, and mental development. The article examines risk factors and discusses contamination, testing for lead, and prevention. (SM)

Extension educators broadened their capacity to educate more Latino families about lead poisoning through collaboration with community agencies. Agencies were provided multicultural curriculum materials and staff training to carry the program into the community. (SK)

Reports that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been tracking the levels of lead, which is linked to increased behavioral disorders, retardation, and anemia in children, in the United States since the 1970s. Provides statistics on the current state of chronic diseases in the U.S. and asserts that there is a need for a nationwide heath…

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that more than 1 million children ages 5 and under are afflicted with unsafe amounts of lead. Schools can be a source of lead poisoning. Other sources include playgrounds near freeways, playground equipment, contaminated soil, and technology rooms with lead-bearing supplies. Sidebars…

This overview addresses the biological impact of lead and serves as a guide to the best source of information currently available. Several annotated bibliographies and reviews are described, pertinent journals are listed, and information sources by topic such as environmental transport and occurrence and human exposure to lead, are identified. (BT)

Children are especially sensitive to air pollution and consequences to them maybe of longer duration than to adults. The effects of low-level pollution on children are the concern of this article. The need for research on the threat of air pollution to childrens' health is emphasized. (BT)

Forty-seven lead poisoned children, treated and without encephalopathy, were compared with sibling controls on perceptual-verbal pattern comparisons of subtests of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC) to determine whether there was brain damage. Results indicated that lead poisoning, treated, and without encephalopathy, does not…

The effects of heavy metals on fish are being investigated by the Columbia National Fishery Research Laboratory in Missouri. This article describes the process and some techniques that are being used in the research. (SA)

In a developmental center for individuals with mental retardation, blood lead level was determined for individuals who were admitted or discharged over two decades. Analysis indicated a marked decline in blood lead levels, attributed to local lead abatement measures, effective pica management, and reduced environmental lead contamination.…

Describes a student research project that determined concentrations of lead in water drawn from selected drinking fountains and in selected soil samples on the campus of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. (18 references) (DDR)

Reviews five federal policy-based initiatives for children and families (Project Head Start; lead poisoning prevention; Medicaid; Special Supplemental Program for Women, Infants, and Children; and Earned Income Tax Credit), discussing aspects of federal prevention program design, implementation, policy, and research. (Contains references.) (SM)

Overexposure to lead can permanently impair a child's mental and physical development. This article discusses sources of lead paint, survey and testing methods, management and abatement plans, drinking water contamination, and associated federal standards. Although lead is present in soil and in art, theater, and vocational programs, no federal…

This study, with 43 boys ages 8-12, found that children with relatively high concentrations of lead in their hair reacted significantly slower in a simple reaction-time task than did children with relatively low concentrations of lead in their hair. In addition, the former were significantly less flexible in changing their focus of attention.…

A physician addresses three health concerns of child care center directors. She provides information about the increasing number of children with asthma problems, the exclusion of ill children from child care settings, and the increasing concern about lead poisoning. (GLR)

Informs biology teachers about lead contamination by providing an overview of the subject. Emphasis is placed on the sources of lead exposure, followed by ways in which a discussion of lead could be incorporated into the biology curriculum. (ZWH)