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LEAD Action News Volume 22 Number 4 December 2024 Page 59 of 131
Clinical and population strategies to protect children
from low-level lead poisoning - by Prof Bruce
Lanphear
LEAPP Alliance
Email from Professor Bruce Lanphear, Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University,
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and LEAPP Alliance - Lead Exposure and Poisoning Prevention
Alliance - A joint initiative of the Lead Containing Materials Association and Lead Safe World UK, December
2024
From: Bruce Lanphear
Sent: Tuesday, 31 December 2024 2:56 AM
Subject: Re: LEAPP Alliance Update
Tim and others:
Re: article by Laura Hughes in the Financial Times: 'A timebomb’: fears for children being
poisoned by lead paint in UK homes - Lack of routine testing means thousands of youngsters
could be suffering from effects, say experts.
It is encouraging to read high-profile articles like Laura's.
I encourage LEAPP Alliance to have in-depth discussion on clinical and
population strategies to protect children from low-level lead poisoning. The US
led population strategies in the 1970s and 1980s, but then shifted to clinical
strategies. These two strategies are complementary, but for the past 30 years
the US emphasized the clinical strategy (testing children in the clinic setting) at
the expense of a population strategy.
The clinical strategy is important, but if sufficient investments are made in
population strategies (e.g., replacing lead service lines, identifying residential
lead hazards, banning leaded aviation fuel, and so on), then clinical strategies
will become unnecessary over the next 10 years.
Some of the key strategies to discuss are:
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LEAD Action News Volume 22 Number 4 December 2024 Page 60 of 131
Identifying and mitigating sources rather than using children as biological
indicators of lead hazards. This could begin with a national survey of lead in
water, housing and soil analogous with the national housing survey in the US.
Enacting laws and regulations to eliminate or control lead hazards.
Conducting ongoing representative surveys of UK children for lead and other
toxic chemicals to quantify the prevalence of lead poisoning, identify risk
factors for lead poisoning, and monitor trends in lead poisoning.
Ongoing surveillance of high-risk children who are screened for low-level lead
poisoning in the clinical setting.
All these will obviously require enhanced communication of lead hazards and
the health impact of low-level lead poisoning.
Cheers,
Bruce
IMAGE: https://volcanoartprize.com/?s=lanphear
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LEAD Action News Volume 22 Number 4 December 2024 Page 61 of 131
Bruce Lanphear’s Little Things Matter (Video), VAP 2014
in Vap archive
Volcano Art Prize (VAP) 2014 Entry by Professor Bruce Lanphear et al
Lead-safety Message: “We’ve been studying the impact of toxins on children for the past 30 years and reached the
inescapable conclusion: little things matter. We’ve discovered that extremely low levels of toxins can impact brain
development. We have also discovered that subtle shifts in the intellectual abilities of individual children have a big
impact on the number of children in a population that are challenged or gifted. Steps should be taken to reduce
children’s exposure to toxins or suspected toxins.”
Artists: Bruce Lanphear (Producer and Narrator), Bob Lanphear (Art Direction and Graphic Design), Trevor
Phillips (Motion Graphics and Video Production), David Murphy, Chris Jeschelnik and Jason Levis (Audio/Video)
Advisory Team: Erica Phipps, Adrienne Montani, Bruce Lanphear, Joanne Telfer, Manda Aufochs-Gillespie
Sponsors: Simon Fraser University Engagement Fund, Artemis Fund
Materials: Infographic Video (Graphics, Video Editing Software, Filming Equipment)
https://volcanoartprize.com/portfolio-item/little-things-matter/ which links to
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6KoMAbz1Bw where you can watch the video.
