Lead Poisoning News and Research

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Lead is a naturally occurring metal that has been used extensively throughout history. Its usage is traced right back to ancient history. High exposure to lead, particularly in young children, is associated with health complications. Lead poisoning is not a new phenomenon. Reports of lead poisoning from water pipes and wine containers date back to Roman times.

New research could help solve major challenge in the deployment of COVID-19 vaccines

New research by University of Texas at Dallas scientists could help solve a major challenge in the deployment of certain COVID-19 vaccines worldwide -- the need for the vaccines to be kept at below-freezing temperatures during transport and storage.

15 Apr 2021

Simple soil remediation can save children from lead toxicity

Simple soil remediation can substantially reduce levels of the toxic metal lead in the blood of children living in heavily contaminated areas, says a new study conducted in Bangladesh.

2 Feb 2021

Report: 800 million children have dangerously high lead levels in blood

As many as 800 million children have dangerously high lead values in their blood. The neurotoxin can cause permanent brain damage.

5 Nov 2020

Precise screening index pinpoints areas at risk for low-level lead exposure in Georgia

While many people think of lead poisoning as a problem of the past, chronic exposure still occurs in some communities that may be missed in limited screening programs for children's blood lead levels.

27 Oct 2020

Researchers examine implications for lead-safe housing in Cleveland

More than 103,000 rental units spread across the city proper are potentially vulnerable to lead contamination because they were built before 1978 when lead paint was outlawed.

22 Oct 2020

Low-level developmental lead exposure increases risk of relapse to alcohol seeking in mice

A new IU study examining effects of low-level developmental lead exposure in mice could explain why some people dependent on alcohol return to using.

13 Oct 2020

800 million children have high lead levels in their blood

As many as 800 million children have dangerously high lead values in their blood. The neurotoxin can cause permanent brain damage.

1 Oct 2020

Kids are missing critical windows for lead testing due to pandemic

Families skipping or delaying pediatric appointments for their young children because of the pandemic are missing out on more than vaccines. Critical testing for lead poisoning has plummeted in many parts of the country.

11 Sep 2020

Study shows link between high blood lead levels and aberrant methylation of DNA

Scientists have unveiled a correlation between high blood lead levels in children and methylation of genes involved in haem synthesis and carcinogenesis, indicating a previously unknown mechanism for lead poisoning.

7 Aug 2020

Inconsistent standards put thousands of children at increased risk of lead poisoning

Two federal environmental standards regulating lead hazards in homes and child care facilities have different maximum thresholds, a discrepancy putting more than 35,000 kids in the United States at increased risk of lead poisoning.

6 Aug 2020

The other COVID risks: How race, income, zip code influence who lives or dies

It started with a headache in late March. Then came the body aches.

22 Apr 2020

Safer mining practices can help reduce lead poisoning

A pilot program to introduce safer mining practices in Nigerian gold mining communities has reduced blood lead levels by 32% according to a study published today.

21 Oct 2019

Topsoil is key harbinger of lead exposure risks for children, Tulane study finds

Tracking lead levels in soil over time is critical for cities to determine lead contamination risks for their youngest and most vulnerable residents, according to a new Tulane University study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

14 Oct 2019

New book shows how marginalized urban communities address environmental health disparities

A new book details the insights learned from communities that came together to overcome long-standing and seemingly insurmountable environmental public health challenges.

18 Sep 2019

Is higher fluoride intake in pregnancy affecting kids’ IQ?

A new study suggests that fluoride consumption at higher levels in pregnancy could be linked to a decline in IQ by a few points in the children. Experts disagree on the acceptability of this finding, which has stirred up questions about fluoridation of public drinking water supplies.

20 Aug 2019

New project reveals beautification processes used by women over the ages

Centuries of dangerous practices used by women in the pursuit of beauty are being showcased in a new project revealing brutal beauty regimes, from sewing hair into eyelids to replacing eyebrows with mouse skin.

9 Jul 2019

Simple test can easily measure common stress hormones

Stress is often called "the silent killer" because of its stealthy and mysterious effects on everything from heart disease to mental health.

24 May 2019

ToxicDocs: The largest database on industrial poisons

Johnson & Johnson, the world's largest health care products maker, is in the midst of more than 10,000 lawsuits claiming that its iconic baby powder is linked to cancer.

12 Dec 2018

Study addresses continued challenges of lead poisoning prevention

Over the years, the Centers for Disease Control and its partners have made major progress towards reducing lead exposure in the United States. But more work remains in preventing lead poisoning in US children and adults, according to a special supplement to the Journal of Public Health Management and Practice. The journal is published in the Lippincott portfolio by Wolters Kluwer.

5 Dec 2018

Study highlights potential risks of lead exposure from ‘non-traditional’ sources

The study by Paromita Hore, PhD, MPH, and colleagues at the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene highlights the potential risks of lead exposure from "non-traditional" sources, even as US population blood levels continue to decline.

4 Dec 2018