May 11, 2001 – According to a recent study (not yet published) by a team of American researchers, children with blood lead levels (blood lead levels) are between 1 and 10 micrograms (µg) per deciliter (dl) of blood test results are, on average, 11.1 points lower on the Stanford-Binet IQ test, compared to children with blood lead levels below 1 µg / dl. Researchers estimate that each additional 10 µg / dl results in an additional 5.5 points drop in test results.
Since the 1960s, the threshold from which a person was considered to be the victim of lead poisoning has been gradually lowered from 60 to 10 µg / dl. The results of the American research made Dr. Bruce Lanphear, principal author of the study, say that “there is no level of lead in the blood which is safe”.
In October 2000, a study by Dr. Lanphear found that household dust control measures fail to control the level of lead exposure in children. In other words, the population of industrialized countries is caught for a long time to come with the effects of lead emitted into the environment during the twentieth century. As for children in developing countries, many of whom still use gasoline containing lead, they will not have the chance to see lead levels in the environment drop for a long time.
HealthPassport.net
Lanphear BP, Eberly S, Howard CR. Long-term effect of dust control on blood lead concentrations. Pediatrics. 2000 Oct; 106 (4): E48.
For a full discussion of the blood lead problem see “Not All Children Are Through Lead Problems”.
