[AMERICAN INSTITUTE FOR HEALTH PROMOTION]

Contact: Ashley Bobman

RELEASE
Tel. 206.539.1800
Cell Phone: 206.935.2476
Email: abobman@healthylife.com

FOR IMMEDIATE

LEAD: OUR CHILDREN CANT HANDLE IT

Even Low-Exposure to Lead Damages Childrens Intelligence
The Environmental Exposure Division of the American Institute for Health Promotion is
working to raise awareness about an unresolved issue impacting childrens health. The
dramatic decline in childhood lead poisoning in the U.S. has been considered a public
health success for multiple decades. However, levels of lead exposure previously said
to be safe for children have been associated with lowered intellectual function,
according to a 2005 study published in Environmental Health Perspective.
Since the 1960s, there have been ongoing reductions in the accepted level of
childrens blood lead. Currently, blood lead toxicity is defined as whole blood lead 10
g/dL. However, recent findings indicate that the steepest decline in childrens IQ
occurs at blood levels lower than this defined toxicity. Lanphear et al. analysis of the
relationship between IQ score and measures of blood lead provides evidence of leadrelated intellectual deficits among children with maximal blood levels of <7.5 g/dL.
This is not the only study to find no evidence of a threshold lead level. According to
Lanphear (2007), multiple studies have shown that levels of lead exposure previously
thought to be safe or inconsequential for children have consistently been shown to be
risk factors for reading problems, intellectual delays, school failure, attention deficithyperactivity disorder, and antisocial behaviors (Bellinger 2004; Braun et al. 2006;
Burns et al. 1999; Dietrich et al. 2001; Needleman et al. 1990, 1996).
The results of this pooled analysis underscore the increasing importance of primary
prevention as the consequences of lower blood lead concentrations are recognized
(Lanphear et al., 2005). Thus, efforts should be made to minimize environmental lead
exposure in order to reduce lead-induced intellectual deficits.
The Environmental Exposure Division of the AIHP has been working to promote health
and prevent disease by bettering the environment since 1990. This organization is
dedicated to informing the public of the multitude of preventable environmental
exposures that can damage health and to forging new solutions to reduce health
challenges in our society. The Environmental Exposure Division offers a range of
articles and research material to inform the public about these various factors and
propose solutions.
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If you would like more information about this topic, or to schedule an interview with
Ashley Bobman, please call Ashley Bobman at 206.935.2476 or e-mail Ashley at
abobman@healthylife.com. For information about other environmental health risks
visit out website at www.AIHP.com/environexposure/