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Effectiveness of Environmental Health Policies: A New Frontier for Epidemiologists



Details

  • Personal Author:
  • Description:
    Lead toxicity in children is a well-recognized public health problem in the United States. Epidemiology has played a central role in identifying this problem. Careful longitudinal cohort studies have shown that children with elevated lead exposure are at risk for deficits in IQ, balance, hearing and growth. Although average blood lead levels in children have been declining, elevated levels in some children are still relatively common. With the removal of lead from gasoline, new plumbing, new paints, solder in food cans and other consumer products, the most stubborn and persistent threat is lead that remains in old paint. There are millions of houses and apartments in the United States with lead paint. Paint crumbles and mixes into house dust and soil, along with which it is unwittingly ingested by young children during normal hand-tomouth behaviors. Also, airborne lead can be generated during renovation work, when paint is often sanded or burned into fine respirable particles. These exposures can be prevented, but such prevention is not easy. It requires the safe removal of lead paint (or other forms of abatement), which, in turn, requires money and the cooperation of landlords and homeowners. Such cooperation is not often voluntary. As a result, the federal government as well as many states and cities have enacted mandatory measures to protect children from lead paint. Combined with reasonable incentives (such as tax relief and protection from liability), this regulatory framework provides essential leverage for the protection of children. [Description provided by NIOSH]
  • Subjects:
  • Keywords:
  • ISSN:
    1044-3983
  • Document Type:
    Text
  • Funding:
    Grant
  • Genre:
    Journal Article
  • Place as Subject:
  • CIO:
    National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
  • Topic:
    Workplace Safety & Health
  • Location:
    North America
  • Pages in Document:
    257-258
  • Volume:
    14
  • Issue:
    3
  • NIOSHTIC Number:
    nn:20056917
  • Citation:
    Epidemiology 2003 May; 14(3):257-258
  • Contact Point Address:
    Howard Hu, Building 1, Rm 1402, Harvard School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115
  • Email:
    hhu@hsph.harvard.edu
  • CAS Registry Number:
    Lead (CAS RN 7439-92-1)
  • Federal Fiscal Year:
    2003
  • Performing Organization:
    Harvard School of Public Health
  • Peer Reviewed:
    False
  • Start Date:
    20030701
  • Source Full Name:
    Epidemiology
  • End Date:
    20050630
  • Collection(s):
  • Main Document Checksum:
    urn:sha-512:a83e1c1c9ade458d1da0ec01b0d24799a9fdc16ae9869eb9651bae6bc10ff32feaa6d56452369f804f4a197873a6a82921386a0f88ca3586dbb0bcce199e5461
  • Download URL:
  • File Type:
    Filetype[PDF - 89.95 KB ]
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