While the water crisis in Flint, Mich. dominated headlines at the beginning of the year, that city is not alone in concerns over lead harming young children. Over the past four decades, blood lead concentrations among U.S. children have declined due to the elimination of lead from gasoline, paints, and other consumer products. Yet, there are worrisome population pockets of young children with elevated blood levels of lead, particularly among those living in poverty in older homes. New data shows a significant lead problem is potentially harming millions of U.S. children and that blood lead screening is under-used. As was the case in Flint, lead can leach into drinking water from pipes—a problem similarly discovered recently in Mississippi, Ohio, New Jersey, and Oregon schools. Lead can also be ingested through old houses’ remaining lead paint, as well as from contaminated soil and dust. A blood lead test is a cheap and reliable way to identify a lead-poisoned child. Preferred Sample Guidance The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) say there is no safe blood lead level in children, and research has identified a blood lead level of 5 μg/ dL or more as a threshold to trigger the […]