Integrated Lead Poisoning Prevention Practice Lab
Background:
Lead is a toxic metal found in the Earth’s crust. Lead is mined and used in several manufacturing processes, including gasoline, paint, plumbing pipes, batteries, cosmetics, and solders (National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences [NIEHS], 2021). Lead exposure has adverse effects on almost every organ of our bodies and can lead to several health problems. Some sources of lead exposure include paint dust, contaminated soil, and drinking water, which come from old leaded house paint, car exhaust from leaded gasoline, and leaded plumbing lines. Lead enters the body by eating or drinking contaminated food and water and breathing leaded fumes or dust (United States Environmental Protection Agency [EPA], 2021.). Children under six are especially susceptible to lead poisoning, resulting in behavior and learning problems, low IQ, hyperactivity, and slowed growth. Young children are most at risk from lead poisoning due to lower levels of exposure in which toxicity occurs, the lack of the blood-brain barrier, and because young bodies require more nutrients to grow. The body will store lead in bones like calcium (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health [NIOSH], 2018). The stored lead is released into the child’s body if there is a decline in healthy dietary habits. Also, lead can pass from mother to fetus and result in premature birth, low birth weight, and damage to the baby’s kidneys, brain, and nervous system (EPA, 2021.). Furthermore, lead exposure and poisoning disproportionally affect low-income families, ethnic minorities, and people living near industrial facilities.
Key Study Questions:
- Identify and explain five potential lead sources that could affect people’s health in the community; determine which one is most likely to affect the most people and why?
- Identify and discuss three conditions, characteristics, practices, or activities, including cultural beliefs, values, and practices that could affect people’s risk for lead poisoning. How are these factors important in designing a lead poisoning education program?
- What are cultural factors crucial for effectively communicating lead poisoning information? Recommend specific risk communication strategies for reaching three different audiences.
Method:
Completing the practice lab assignment requires integrating and applying several components from personal research and class lectures. Components required to complete this practice lab include research and assimilation of lead, lead exposure, and lead poisoning information with cultural competence and risk communication strategies to develop a community lead poisoning education and prevention program for a mock community.
Findings:
In the mock community, five potential sources of lead that may affect community members are Tiro and lead paint used in homes built in the 1930’s – the ’50s, the consumption of wild game and Chapulines, and the metal instrument set and rubber critter toys. The Yoruba ethnic group uses Tiro in Nigeria; this eye cosmetic is used in other parts of the world and goes by names such as kohl, kajal, al-Kahal, Surma, Tozali, and Kwalli. Before the 1970’s people used lead paint to cover the interior and exterior of homes because it is more durable and lasts longer than unleaded paint; also, the flesh of venison and the small game may contain lead due to the buckshot used to kill the animals. Chapulines are a traditional Mexican snack food, the grasshoppers from Oaxaca, Mexico, contain high amounts of lead. Finally, the 18-piece instrument set may contain lead as the lead makes up part of the alloy in some metal toys. Lead is also mixed with plastics to provide flexibility. An increased risk of lead poisoning is possible depending on the storage method. When washing these toys with detergent, the breakdown of bonds between lead and plastic from sunlight, air, and lead dust creates a hazard. (National Center for Environmental Health [NCEH], 2020).
The most significant number of people at risk for potential lead exposure would be families and individuals living in the homes built in the ’30s and the apartments built in the ’40s and ’50s. Remodeling activities would expose the families to lead dust. Furthermore, individuals and families who do not maintain their living spaces may have deteriorating lead paint and lead dust, which increases exposure. When reviewing the magnitude of lead dust and lead poisoning, the most at-risk population for long-term, adverse outcomes would be the children that play with the metal instrument set and the rubber critter toys.
Recommendations:
To develop relevant, worthwhile community interventions, cultural factors must be considered when approaching community members about lead poisoning prevention. Essential risk communication strategies that can help tailor effective public health communications include using the native language/ multi-language approach, including action messages, and utilizing multiple communication methods to deliver the message. To use a multi-language approach, the public health professional must identify community leaders to translate and disseminate the public health message about lead poisoning risks. Developing action messages to provide alternatives that can reach all community subpopulations to prevent lead poisoning is essential in building a sense of agency. Finally, to reach most people, the health message will need to be delivered through many communication avenues due to the community’s diversity in terms of language, ethnicity, age, and income. The probability that all community members will have access to or use the same communication technology is not likely. The lead poisoning education program must include verbal, visual, and written messages delivered via flyers, brochures, television, telephone, radio, internet.
Public Health Significance:
Lead exposure and poisoning is a 100% preventable condition that has short-term and long-term consequences on people’s health. In the United States, lead exposure accounts for 20,801 deaths and 347,835 disability-adjusted life years (DALYs)(Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation [IHME], 2019). Using community interventions grounded in evidence-based practices to reach populations who have the most potential for lead exposure will prevent unnecessary deaths and avoid mental and physical impairments, improving people’s quality of life and strengthening communities.
References
Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. (2019). Lead exposure, both sexes, all ages, 2019, DALYs [Infographic]. Healthdata.org. https://vizhub.healthdata.org/gbd-compare/
National Center for Environmental Health. (2020, November 24). Lead in consumer products. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/prevention/sources/consumer-products.htm
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. (2018, June 18). Lead information for workers. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/lead/health.html
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. (2021, November 19). Lead. https://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/topics/agents/lead/index.cfm
The United States Environmental Protection Agency. (2021, July 15). Learn about lead. https://www.epa.gov/lead/learn-about-lead
Practice-Lab.Tonn_Cara