ATSDR to perform health screenings to check lead/arsenic levels in children

This summer, July 13-July 15, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) will be conducting lead screenings in an effort to fill in missing information from the public health assessment that was completed back in January in relation to the lead and arsenic contamination in the soils as Superior was listed as a superfund site.

"What we don't know is whether people are developing levels in their own system from exposure," said ATSDR medical officer Bruce Tierney.

The Mineral County Health Department asked ATSDR to get involved back in February of 2004 as they were concerned about the effects that the exposure to lead in soils might have on human health, Peggy Stevens said the Mineral County Health Director.

Danielle Langman, also with the ATSDR, compiled the assessment and said that based on the data they looked at they believe that it is a public health hazard. Langman said that testing will be done on the children for a couple of reasons. First, they are the population most sensitive to having lead show up in their blood and urine levels as they are the ones that have the most contact with soil. Tierney said that children are the ones that often display the hand to mouth behavior.

Tierney said that the reason they will also be testing children is because the tests they will run will look at a three day window not over time. He said that by testing children and looking at the results it will give them an idea if they do need to do that additional testing.

"The test looks at the now, not what you may have been exposed to," Tierney said. "We're doing the group we feel we can focus on the best and a group we know that is at highest risk. We're not saying potentially you haven't been exposed. We picked a focused group to look at so they might tell us what the community might be exposed to."

The screenings will look at the blood lead levels of children age five and under. Screenings of blood lead testing and urinalysis for arsenic will be open to children ages six to 11 years. Pregnant women of any age are also able to be screened. The testing will be free as Tierney said ATSDR funds are available for this type of thing. Tierney said there will only be a certain number of slots available, 180-200, and encourages individuals to schedule an appointment by calling 866-898-8012, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.