By Tim Mastro

Lead was officially removed from paint and gasoline in 1978, but exposure to lead paint hazards is still a concern in Delaware.

More than 57% of the homes in Delaware were built before 1978, so there are many that still have lead paint in them, said Bill Leitzinger of Delaware’s Office of Healthy Environments.

“Exposure to lead paint hazards is still a problem for small children in Delaware,” Mr. Leitzinger said. “Unfortunately, far too many children in Delaware still have high blood lead levels, which can cause permanent damage to the brain, resulting in learning disabilities and behavior problems.”

According to statistics from the Delaware Division of Public Health, approximately 200 children each year are identified as having higher-than-normal blood lead levels in Delaware. For example, in 2019, there were 218 children younger than 6 who were identified as having such rates.

Mr. Leitzinger said the lead-testing rate is less than 25% for children younger than 6 in the First State. Therefore, it is estimated that more than 1,000 children in Delaware have high lead levels in their blood, with many of them not having been tested.

Pediatrician Dr. Taqdees Afreen of Bayhealth Pediatrics, Milford, said young children are at an increased risk of lead poisoning because of normal developmental tendencies, such as spending most of their time on the floor as they learn to crawl and walk.

“This puts their hands in direct contact with lead-contaminated dust or soil,” Dr. Afreen said. “They also have a normal tendency to frequently put their hands in their mouth, which will then increase the likelihood of the contaminated soil/dust to be ingested. Children less than 6 years of age are also growing and developing very quickly, which further increases their risk of lead poisoning, which will cause neurodevelopmental delay.”

The continued presence of lead paint in older houses remains the primary source of lead poisoning in children, according to Dr. Afreen.

“This is more frequently found in older houses and houses in low-income areas that are more likely to contain lead-based paint and lead pipes, faucets and plumbing fixtures,” Dr. Afreen said. “Other important pediatric exposures include contaminated soil from gasoline emissions, elevated maternal blood lead levels during pregnancy and breastfeeding, food, water and/or air contamination and excess lead in parental occupations, toys, cosmetics and herbal/ayurveda remedies.”

The state monitors the prevalence of lead poisoning in several different ways.

Title 16, Chapter 26 of the Delaware Code — called the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Act — mandates that all blood lead-level test results from laboratories, hospitals and clinics must be reported to DPH’s Lead Poisoning Prevention Program, Mr. Leitzinger said. The program has a lead-testing tracking database approved by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Children must undergo lead testing before starting school or attending child care services. According to the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Act, all Delaware families are required to have proof of a blood lead test to enroll in child care facilities, public and private nursery schools, preschools and kindergartens.

Mr. Leitzinger added that DPH also conducts multimedia campaigns each year to raise awareness of the dangers of childhood lead poisoning. More information on lead dangers and poisoning prevention is available here.

Dr. Afreen said parents and caregivers can protect their families from lead exposure by taking the following measures:

• Talk to your health care provider about getting your kids tested for lead. Lead levels can be checked with a simple blood test.
• Get your home checked for lead hazards, including lead-based paint if your home was built before 1978.
• Ask your local water authority if you have a lead service line. If there is lead in your tap water, take steps to reduce or eliminate exposure.
• Use only approved methods for removing lead hazards.
• Fix the surfaces in your home that have peeling or chipping lead-based paint.
• Clean floors, windowsills and other surfaces regularly and take precautions to avoid lead dust when remodeling.
• Remove shoes or wipe soil off shoes before entering the house.
• Wash your child’s hands, bottles, pacifiers and toys often.
• Make sure your children eat nutritious meals high in iron and calcium.