Even ‘Safe’ Levels of Lead Can Be Damaging to Kids, British Study Finds

Children with levels of lead in their blood that are within the range considered safe by government officials still may be at greater risks of suffering from developmental delays and other health complications later in life, a new British study has found.

The current maximum safe blood level of lead is 10 micrograms per deciliter (mcg/dl) and was set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 1991. But the new study found that even lead levels half that amount are associated with lower school performance and increased behavioral problems. The findings of the British report are published in the Sept. 17 online edition of the Archives of Disease in Childhood.

Lead Remains a Risk to U.S. Children

Despite recent efforts to reduce and eliminate the use of lead-based paint, use of the product continues to be a leading cause of lead poisoning in American children, particularly those living in older homes built or painted before the lead-paint bans took effect in the 1970s.

Lead found on children’s toys, clothing, and other products imported from India and China also poses a considerable threat to American children. In addition to severe developmental delays, some studies have found a link between childhood lead exposure and criminal behavior in adulthood.

Lead Levels Linked to Behavioral Problems, Development Delays

Researchers from the University of Bristol’s Center for Child and Adolescent Health drew blood samples from 582 children at age 2. The children were examined between the ages of 7 and 8 and researchers found a connection between lead levels at age 2 and school performance and behavior at ages 7 and 8.

Children with the highest levels of lead in their blood at age 2 had the lowest academic performance on reading, writing, and spelling and increased odds of engaging in antisocial behavior, the study found.

Levels of lead up to 5 mcg/dl showed no signs of intelligence or behavior, but children with between 5 mcg/dl and 10 mcg/dl had 49 percent lower grades on reading and standardized tests along with a 51-percent drop in writing scores, according to the study.

The news was even worse for children with the highest levels of lead in their blood, higher than 10 mcg/dl. Those children were about 300 percent more likely to suffer from hyperactivity and display antisocial behavior compared to children with the lowest lead levels.

Shockingly, the 10 mcg/dl level associated with greatly increased risks of serious developmental problems is what the U.S. government deems safe. The researchers want the World Health Organization to lower the safety threshold of lead levels from 10 mcg/dl to 5 mcg/dl.

The British research team also noted that the younger children are when they are exposed to lead, the worse the effects are, because lead is easily absorbed into the body tissue of very young children. Lead can build up in the bones and other areas of the body for decades, causing long-lasting health consequences.

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