Lead levels in primary feathers of American woodcocks harvested by hunters throughout the United States range

BackgroundAlthough patients with kidney disease may be particularly susceptible to the adverse health effects associated with lead exposure, whether levels of lead found commonly in drinking water are associated with adverse outcomes in patients with ESKD is not known.MethodsTo investigate associations of lead in community water systems with hemoglobin concentrations and erythropoietin stimulating agent (ESA) use among incident patients with ESKD, we merged data from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Safe Drinking Water Information System (documenting average 90th percentile lead concentrations in community water systems during 5 years before dialysis initiation, according to city of residence) with patient-level data from the United States Renal Data System.ResultsAmong 597,968 patients initiating dialysis in the United States in 2005 through 2017, those in cities with detectable lead levels in community water had significantly lower pre-ESKD hemoglobin concentrations and more ESA use per 0.01 mg/L increase in 90th percentile water lead. Findings were similar for the 208,912 patients with data from the first month of ESKD therapy, with lower hemoglobin and higher ESA use per 0.01 mg/L higher lead concentration. These associations were observed at lead levels below the EPA threshold (0.015 mg/L) that mandates regulatory action. We also observed environmental inequities, finding significantly higher water lead levels and slower declines over time among Black versus White patients.ConclusionsThis first nationwide analysis linking EPA water supply records to patient data shows that even low levels of lead that are commonly encountered in community water systems throughout the United States are associated with lower hemoglobin levels and higher ESA use among patients with advanced kidney disease.

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Cognitive and Behavioral Manifestations of Lead

Cognitive and Behavioral Abnormalities of Pediatric Diseases ◽

10.1093/oso/9780195342680.003.0071 ◽

2010 ◽

Author(s):

Hugh L. Evans

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Blood Lead ◽

The United States ◽

Conduct Disorders ◽

Lead Content ◽

Blood Lead Levels ◽

Toxic Exposure ◽

Postnatal Exposure ◽

Household Dust ◽

Lead Levels

The link between exposure to lead and children’s cognitive problems was implied in the earliest medical reports of frank lead poisoning of young children in Australia in the 1800s (Lin-Fu 1992). Children with acute severe toxicity of lead (Pb) are now rarely seen in the United States. However, millions of children may have subclinical neurobehavioral disorders associated with chronic low-level exposure to lead, representing a major public health concern (Bellinger 2008a). Lead is a nonessential metal that is recognized as a source of toxic exposure, with the developing nervous system particularly vulnerable. Because of this, U.S. regulations limiting the lead content of gasoline and household paint have led to a gradual reduction of the average blood lead concentration of Americans over the last three decades. Average blood lead levels of children in the United States dropped an estimated 78% from 1976 to 1991 (Brody et al. 1994; Caldwell et al. 2009). Despite these reductions in exposure to lead, new advances in research techniques have documented harmful consequences associated with lower blood lead levels. This raises the possibility that there is no threshold for occurrence of lead-induced toxicity. Bellinger (2008a) refers to “the silent pandemic of neurodevelopmental disorders resulting from children’s continuing exposure to low levels of lead.” The developing brain may be more sensitive to exposure to lead than the adult. Since the pioneering work of Needleman and colleagues (1979), a large scientific literature has documented the deleterious effects of pre- and neonatal exposure to lead. Decrements in IQ scores have proven to be among the most sensitive and consistent consequences of a child’s exposure to lead, but other cognitive and behavioral changes have been described as well, including attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Among the important current sources of children’s exposure to lead is household dust (Dixon et al. 2009) the lead content in old water pipes, batteries, and from contamination by numerous industrial processes. Pre and postnatal exposure to cigarette smoke is a cofactor with lead exposure in children’s conduct disorders (Braun et al. 2008). Diagnosis of lead-induced disorders involves the determination of exposure to lead and the atomic absorption assay of lead in whole blood.

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Demographic and Socioeconomic Factors Associated with Blood Lead Levels among Mexican-American Children and Adolescents in the United States

Public Health Reports ◽

10.1177/003335490512000412 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 120 (4) ◽

pp. 448-454 ◽

Cited By ~ 28

Author(s):

Leo S. Morales ◽

Peter Gutierrez ◽

Jose J. Escarce

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Drinking Water ◽

Mexican American ◽

Family Income ◽

Blood Lead ◽

The United States ◽

Blood Lead Levels ◽

Mexican American Youth ◽

Lead Levels ◽

American Children

Objective. This study was designed to assess demographic and socioeconomic differences in blood lead levels (BLLs) among Mexican-American children and adolescents in the United States. Methods. We analyzed data from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1988–1994, for 3,325 Mexican-American youth aged 1 to 17 years. The main study outcome measures included a continuous measure (μg/dL) of BLL and two dichotomous measures of BLL (⩾5 μg/dL and ⩾10 μg/dL). Results. The mean BLL among Mexican-American children in the United States was 3.45 μg/dL (95% confidence interval [CI] 3.07, 3.87); 20% had BLL ⩾5 μg/dL (95% CI 15%, 24%); and 4% had BLL ⩾10 μg/dL (95% CI 2%, 6%). In multivariate analyses, gender, age, generational status, home language, family income, education of head of household, age of housing, and source of drinking water were statistically significant independent predictors ( p<0.05) of having higher BLLs and of having BLL ⩾5 μg/dL, whereas age, family income, housing age, and source of drinking water were significant predictors ( p<0.05) of having BLL ⩾10 μg/dL. Conclusions. Significant differences in the risk of having elevated BLLs exist among Mexican-American youth. Those at greatest risk should be prioritized for lead screening and lead exposure abatement interventions.

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Declines in adult blood lead levels in New York City compared with the United States, 2004–2014

Environmental Research ◽

10.1016/j.envres.2018.01.049 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 163 ◽

pp. 194-200 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Alexis Feinberg ◽

Wendy McKelvey ◽

Paromita Hore ◽

Rania Kanchi ◽

Patrick J. Parsons ◽

...

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

New York ◽

New York City ◽

York City ◽

Blood Lead ◽

The United States ◽

Blood Lead Levels ◽

Lead Levels

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Housing Assistance and Blood Lead Levels: Children in the United States, 2005–2012

American Journal of Public Health ◽

10.2105/ajph.2016.303432 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 106 (11) ◽

pp. 2049-2056 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Katherine A. Ahrens ◽

Barbara A. Haley ◽

Lauren M. Rossen ◽

Patricia C. Lloyd ◽

Yutaka Aoki

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Blood Lead ◽

The United States ◽

Blood Lead Levels ◽

Housing Assistance ◽

Lead Levels

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Racial/Ethnic Differences in Childhood Blood Lead Levels Among Children <72 Months of Age in the United States: a Systematic Review of the Literature

Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities ◽

10.1007/s40615-015-0124-9 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 3 (1) ◽

pp. 145-153 ◽

Cited By ~ 18

Author(s):

Brandi M. White ◽

Heather Shaw Bonilha ◽

Charles Ellis

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Systematic Review ◽

Ethnic Differences ◽

Blood Lead ◽

The United States ◽

Blood Lead Levels ◽

Review Of The Literature ◽

Lead Levels ◽

Racial Ethnic

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A population-based study of blood lead levels in relation to depression in the United States

International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health ◽

10.1007/s00420-009-0497-3 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 83 (7) ◽

pp. 771-777 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Natalia I. Golub ◽

Paul C. Winters ◽

Edwin van Wijngaarden

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Blood Lead ◽

The United States ◽

Population Based ◽

Blood Lead Levels ◽

Population Based Study ◽

Lead Levels

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Preliminary Study of Lead-Contaminated Drinking Water in Public Parks—An Assessment of Equity and Exposure Risks in Two Texas Communities

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18126443 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (12) ◽

pp. 6443

Author(s):

Leanne Fawkes ◽

Garett Sansom

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

United States ◽

Drinking Water ◽

The United States ◽

Median Income ◽

Safe Drinking Water ◽

Public Parks ◽

Health Crisis ◽

Contaminated Drinking Water ◽

Lead Levels

Safe drinking water is celebrated as a public health achievement and is a top priority for the Environmental Protection Agency. Yet today, lead (Pb) contaminated drinking water has the potential to be a public health crisis in the United States. Despite efforts to provide safe drinking water, update water infrastructure, and ensure strict drinking water regulations, there are incidents of unsafe lead levels and reports of associated adverse health effects. While there has been increased attention paid to the quality of drinking water within individuals’ homes, little research has examined the presence and concentration of lead in water from drinking fountain sources located in public parks. In this study, we sampled drinking water from every accessible public park in the Bryan/College Station (BCS), TX metropolitan area (N = 56). With a lower detection level of 2.0 μg/L, we discovered a mean lead concentration of 1.3 μg/L across all sites and a maximum of 8.0 μg/L. Furthermore, neighborhoods below the median income for BCS were twice as likely to have detectable lead levels in their water and had 1.5 times the mean concentration. This study underscores the need for action and supports previous studies that have identified a disparate burden to lead exposure among low socioeconomic populations within the United States. By examining the water quality in drinking fountains in publicly accessible parks, the results of our study provide public health professionals with important information about where infrastructure should be improved and the potential harms of lead in drinking fountain water.

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