Lead poisoning is one of the most common environmental health problems. It’s also preventable. According to the Missouri Department of Health & Senior Services, Missouri is the #1 lead producing state in the United States. And while there are no safe levels of lead for people of any age, young children are at increased risk because they are still developing and are more likely to put lead-contaminated objects in their mouths.
How Children are Exposed to Lead
There are several different ways children can be exposed to lead. Lead mining has occurred in Missouri for a long time. Older homes with lead pipes or lead-based paints can also be a source of lead. There are also certain hobbies and occupations that can put children at risk for lead exposure. “An example would be if you did like fish sinkers and you did lead smoldering for those or maybe even like stained glass windows,” said Tanya Calhoun, a certified pediatric nurse practitioner for Missouri Ozarks Community Health. “Another big one would be maybe a parent has an occupation that involves a battery factory.”
Lead Screening and Testing
In Missouri, all children under 72 months (about 6 years) should be screened for lead exposure. “At each well exam we ask parents to fill out a questionnaire (the Healthy Child and Youth Lead Risk Assessment Guide), so we can assess what potential risk might be there for your child,” said Calhoun. A blood lead test is then offered at ages one, two and three unless a child is at high risk and needs to be tested sooner.
“The lead level determines if we would need to do further testing and any health interventions,” said Calhoun. “We would then repeat testing every three to six months until we find that that level has come down to a safe level and that’s something we’d be working with the health department on.”
All health departments in Douglas, Ozark, Texas and Wright counties also offer some form of environmental lead testing. “I do quite a lot of tests for lead,” said Kevin Durden, public health environmental specialist at Texas County Health Department. “We even have lead swabs to do environmental sampling for lead paint or even to check toys.” Private wells can also be a source of lead exposure. “If a person has a private well, and they are curious about lead in their water, they can contact us to schedule a water test,” said Valerie Reese, the administrator of the Douglas County Health Department.
The cost for environmental testing varies by department but is often free. To learn more, contact the health departments at the numbers below:
- Douglas County Health Department: (417) 683-4174
- Ozark County Health Department: Water testing kits for lead available for free, (417) 679-3334
- Texas County Health Department: Free for health department to test, (417) 967-4131
- Wright County Health Department: Water testing kits available for $20, unless the recipient uses Medicaid, (417) 741-7791
To schedule a lead screening or blood lead test for your child at Missouri Ozarks Community Health, you can reach the MOCH clinics at the numbers below:
- Ava Clinic: (417) 683-5739
- Gainesville Clinic: (417) 679-2775
- Mansfield Clinic: (417) 924-8809
- Cabool Clinic: (417) 962-5422
- Mountain Grove Clinic: (417) 926-1713
- Houston Clinic: (417) 967-0772
To learn more about sources of lead exposure and health risks, visit https://health.mo.gov/living/environment/lead/index.php
