Below is a small selection of leading and novel research in the field of environmental lead exposure that discusses the health, cognitive, social and physiological effects of lead exposure in our communities. Continued research is essential to assisting healthcare providers and public health practitioners in advocating for best practices that lead to the best health outcomes for the populations that we serve.
For easy sharing with your staff or another healthcare provider, download this summary one-pager:
| Title | Author(s) |
|---|---|
| Update of the Blood Lead Reference Value — United States, 2021 | Ruckart, P. Z., Jones, R. L., Courtney, J. G., LeBlanc, T. T., Jackson, W., Karwowski, M. P., Cheng, P. Y., Allwood, P., Svendsen, E. R., & Breysse, P. N. (2021). Update of the blood lead reference value – United States, 2021. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 70(43), 1509–1512. https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7043a4 |
| Biological Factors That Impact Variability of Lead Absorption and Blood Lead Level Estimation in Children: Implications for Child Blood Lead Level Testing Practices | Del Rio, M., Sobin, C., & Hettiarachchi, G. (2022). Biological factors that impact variability of lead absorption and blood lead level estimation in children: Implications for child blood lead level testing practices. Journal of Environmental Health, 85(5). |
| Both physiology and epidemiology support zero tolerable blood lead levels | Shefa, S. T., & Héroux, P. (2017). Both physiology and epidemiology support zero tolerable blood lead levels. Toxicology Letters, 280, 232–237. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.toxlet.2017.08.015 |
| Relationship Between Primary Language Spoken at Home and Blood Lead Levels in Children from Northeast Ohio, United States: A Retrospective Cohort Study | Shakya, S., Ojha, S., White, P.C., Bhatta, M.P. (2022). Relationship between primary language spoken at home and blood lead levels in children from Northeast Ohio, United States: A retrospective cohort study. Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-022-01432-7 |
| An interdisciplinary team-based approach for significantly reducing lower-level lead poisoning in U.S. children | Del Rio, M., Obeng, A., Galkaduwa, B., Rodriguez, C., Costa, C., Chavarria, C.A., Navarro, E.A., Avila, J., Wekumbura, C., Hargrove, W.L., Hettiarachchi, G., Sobin, C. (2023). An interdisciplinary team-based approach for significantly reducing lower-level lead poisoning in U.S. children. Toxicology Reports, 10, 76-86. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.toxrep.2022.12.004 |
| Health Remedies as a Source of Lead, Mercury, and Arsenic Exposure, New York City, 2010–2019 | Hore, P., Alex-Oni, K., Sedlar, S., Patel, K., Saper, R.B. (2022). Health remedies as as a source of lead, mercury, and arsenic exposure, New York City, 2010-2019. American Journal of Public Health, 112, S730-S740. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2022.306906 |
| Bioaccumulation of lead (Pb) and its effects on human: A review | Collin, S.M., Venkatraman, S.K., Vijayakumar, N., Kanimozhi, V., Arbaaz, S.M., Stacey, R.G.S., Anusha, J., Choudhary, R., Lvov, V., Tovar, G.I., Senatov, F., Koppala, S., Swamiappan, S. (2022). Bioaccumulation of lead (Pb) and its effects on human: A review. Journal of Hazardous Materials Advances, 7, Article 100094. 10.1016/j.hazadv.2022.100094. |
| Lead Poisoning in Children | Warniment, C., Tsang, K., & Galazka, S. S. (2010). Lead poisoning in children. American Family Physician, 81(6), 751-757. |
| Low-level lead exposure and mortality in US adults: a population-based cohort study | Lanphear, B.P., Rauch, S., Auinger, P., Allen, R.W., Hornung, R.W. (2018). Low-level lead exposure and mortality in US adults: A population-based cohort study. The Lancet Public Health, 3(4), e177-e184. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2468-2667(18)30025-2 |
| Childhood Lead Poisoning | World Health Organization. (2010, September 1). Childhood lead poisoning. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/childhood-lead-poisoning |
| Lead and Arsenic in Shed Deciduous Teeth of Children Living Near a Lead-Acid Battery Smelter | Johnston, J. E., Franklin, M., Roh, H., Austin, C., Arora, M. (2019). Lead and arsenic in shed deciduous teeth of children living near a lead-acid battery smelter. Environmental Science & Technology, 53(10), 6000-6006. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.9b00429 |
| Pb Neurotoxicity: Neuropsychological Effects of Lead Toxicity | Mason, L. H., Harp, J. P., & Han, D. Y. (2014). Pb neurotoxicity: Neuropsychological effects of lead toxicity. BioMed Research International, 2014, Article 840547. https://doi.org/10.1155/2014/840547 |
| Policy Statement – Lead Exposure in Children: Prevention, Detection, and Management | American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Environmental Health. (2005). Lead exposure in children: Prevention, detection, and management. Pediatrics, 116(4), 1036-1046. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2005-1947 |
| NTP Monograph on Health Effects of Low-Level Lead | US Department of Health and Human Services. (2012). NTP monograph on health effects of low-level lead. NTP monograph, 1, xiii, xv-148. |
| Low-level environmental lead exposure still negatively associated with children’s cognitive abilities | Earl, R., Burns, N., Nettelbeck, T., & Baghurst, P. (2016). Low-level environmental lead exposure still negatively associated with children’s cognitive abilities. Australian Journal of Psychology, 68(2), 98-106. https://doi.org/10.1111/ajpy.12096 |
| Lead in Spices, Herbal Remedies, and Ceremonial Powders Sampled from Home Investigations for Children with Elevated Blood Lead Levels – North Carolina, 2011-2018 | Angelon-Gaetz, K. A., Klaus, C., Chaudhry, E. A., & Bean, D. K. (2018). Lead in spices, herbal remedies, and ceremonial powders sampled from home investigations for children with elevated blood lead levels – North Carolina, 2011-2018. Morbidity & Mortality Weekly Report, 67(46), 1290–1294. https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6746a2 |
| Intellectual Impairment in Children with Blood Lead Concentrations below 10 μg per Deciliter | Canfield, R. L., Henderson, C. R., Jr., Cory-Slechta, D. A., Cox, C., Jusko, T. A., & Lanphear, B. P. (2003). Intellectual impairment in children with blood lead concentrations below 10 μg per deciliter. New England Journal of Medicine, 348(16), 1517-1526. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa022848 |
| Association Between Maternal Exposure to Lead, Maternal Folate Status, and Intergenerational Risk of Childhood Overweight and Obesity | Wang, G., DiBari, J., Bind, E., Steffens, A.M., Mukherjee, J., Azuine, R.E., Singh, G.K., Hong, X., Ji, Y., Ji, H., Pearson, C., Zuckerman, B.S., Cheng, T.L., & Wang, X. (2019). Association between maternal exposure to lead, maternal folate status, and intergenerational risk of childhood overweight and obesity. JAMA Network Open, 2(10), Article e1912343. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2019.12343 |
| Very low lead exposure and children’s neurodevelopment | Bellinger, D. C. (2008). Very low lead exposures and children’s neurodevelopment. Current Opinion in Pediatrics, 20(2), 172–177. https://doi.org/10.1097/MOP.0b013e3282f4f97b |
| Children’s Lead Exposure: A Multimedia Modeling Analysis to Guide Public Health Decision-Making | Zartarian, V., Xue, J., Tornero-Velez, R., & Brown, J. (2017). Children’s lead exposure: A multimedia modeling analysis to guide public health decision-making. Environmental Health Perspectives, 125(9), Article 097009. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP1605 |
| Prevention of Childhood Lead Toxicity | American Academy of Pediatrics Council on Environmental Health. (2016). Prevention of childhood lead toxicity. Pediatrics, 138(1), Article e20161493. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2016-1493 |
| Blood Lead Concentrations and Child Intelligence at 6 Years of Age | Jusko, T. A., Henderson, C. R., Lanphear, B. P., Cory-Slechta, D. A., Parsons, P. J., & Canfield, R. L. (2008). Blood lead concentrations < 10 microg/dL and child intelligence at 6 years of age. Environmental Health Perspectives, 116(2), 243–248. https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.10424 |
| Educational Interventions Children Affected by Lead | U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Educational Services for Children Affected by Lead Expert Panel, U.S. National Center for Environmental Health Division of Emergency and Environmental Health Services. (2015, April). Educational interventions for children affected by lead. https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/31182 |