Lead Poisoning in Pennsylvania (PA)
Childhood lead poisoning at low levels may make learning difficult, interfere with growth, harm hearing and delay development. At high levels, lead may cause coma, convulsions and even death. The leading cause of lead poisoning is lead dust from lead-based paint, which was used in most homes until 1978. Children under age 6 are most at risk because they put their hands and other things in their mouths. If your home was built before 1978, it is important to have your home and your children tested.
High-risk communities for Lead Poisoning funded by the Pennsylvania Department of Health
• Bethlehem City
• Harrisburg City
• Johnstown City
• Lancaster City
• Philadelphia City
• Fayette County
The housing stock in Pennsylvania consists of 80% residential units built prior to the year 1980, 55% built prior to the year 1960, 40% built prior to the year 1950, and 30% built prior to 1940. Pennsylvania ranks second in the nation in terms of the number of units of pre-1950 housing (2,113,422 units) after the state of New York. Pre-1978 housing carries a chance of containing lead-based paint, and this paint may be more concentrated and widespread as homes become older (U.S. Census, 2000). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),
Pennsylvania ranks fifth in the United States for the estimated number of children with elevated blood lead levels. In addition, based on the CDC’s estimate of the number of children with elevated blood lead levels in cities, Pennsylvania was identified to have four cities in the top 129. Philadelphia was ranked at number 5, Pittsburgh at 28, Erie at 96, and Allentown at 129. Further, the 2000 United States Census data for Pennsylvania indicates that there is 250,296 families considered to be living in poverty. In cities such as Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Erie, large numbers of children who are below the poverty level live in older, deteriorating housing. In several smaller cities such as Allentown, Bethlehem, and York there are concentrations of high-risk housing placing children who reside in these homes at increased risk for lead exposure
The total number of Pennsylvania children aged four years and younger for the state is 733,496, which is the pool of children from which lead screening should be actively occurring. Allegheny County is recommending screening all one and two year olds and Philadelphia County is recommending screening all one, two, and three year olds. Assuming that most of the reported screening tests were done in this age group, and then only about 10% of the eligible group was screened in 2002, despite the state having a relatively higher prevalence of elevated blood lead levels in both children and adults. Pennsylvania children, like those in the United States in general, are predominantly exposed through lead-based paint in housing and its contaminants in house dust and soil. However, it should be noted that lead exposure might also occur through exposure to lead from other sources including point sources (smelters, factories, waste sites) and use of ethnic cosmetics, medicines or cookware contaminated with lead.
Data presented by Pennsylvania Department of Health
High Risk Areas for Lead Poisoning by County Level, Pennsylvania 2006
Philadelphia County
York County
Allegheny County
Berks County
Blair County
Dauphin County
Delaware County
Erie County
Data analyzed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Based on 2000 US Census data.
