San Joaquin County Public Health Services (PHS) will observe Lead Week 2022 with an informational campaign by California Department of Public Health’s Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Branch (CLPPB) about childhood lead poisoning issues. The campaign, running Oct. 24 through 29, focuses on the potential hazards of lead in drinking water and the lead service line replacement program that is taking place in some California communities.
Lead Week is a national, annual campaign during the last full week of October to bring awareness to and prevent childhood lead exposure. The campaign message this year is “Protect your family from lead in drinking water, especially during lead service line replacement.” The target audiences include parents and communities, local health jurisdiction programs, water utilities, and childcare providers.
“The campaign aims to remind parents and caregivers that lead exposure and poisoning can cause a myriad of problems for growing children including damage to the brain and nervous system or death while they may exhibit no evident signs or symptoms,” said San Joaquin County Public Health Officer Dr. Maggie Park. “Therefore, it’s important for parents and caregivers to participate in such campaigns and get informed about lead poisoning prevention. Last but not the least, parents and caregivers should ask their children’s doctors about blood lead testing, the only way to determine if a child has lead poisoning.”
In San Joaquin County, 72 cases of high lead levels have been discovered from blood tests in children ranging from one to fifteen years old so far in 2022. Lead exposure occurs when a child comes in contact with lead by touching, swallowing, or breathing in lead or lead dust. Additionally, if homes have water lines with lead in them, the lead can get into drinking water, especially while these lines are being replaced.
Lead-based paint is identified as a major lead source. In San Joaquin County, houses built before 1978 pose a greater risk due to the paint that was used during that time that may now be falling off, if not properly removed or covered up. House dust and residential soil are the major pathways for exposure, especially for kids who play in the dirt and have pica tendencies.
PHS has a robust Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program (CLPPP). The CLPPP provides services to the community with the goal of increasing awareness of lead hazards and providing education and assistance in order to reduce lead exposure and increase the number of children who receive a blood test for lead poisoning. Moreover, they provide case management services, home inspections and environmental investigations to families of children found to be severely lead poisoned.
For more information on how to protect your child from this silent environmental disease, visit California Department of Public Health’s Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Branch (CLPPB) or PHS’ CLPPP. You can also contact them directly at 209-468-2593 or PHS-CLPPP@sjcphs.org.
