October 22-28 is National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week, and we are spreading the word about how to protect children from lead. 
It's National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week

The need to #LeadTestInTheWest

There is no safe level of lead in the body , yet children continue to be exposed to lead in paint, dust, soil and other sources.  Furthermore, lead testing is not required for all children nationally.   Our research suggests that this is a problem in the Western U.S., where  only 22% of lead-poisoned children  (children aged 1-5 years with blood lead levels greater than 10ug/dL) are detected through current lead testing practices.  


In California, we estimate that only 37% of lead-poisoned children are detected through current lead testing practices.  That means a majority 63% of lead-poisoned children go undetected and do not receive the services needed to identify and eliminate potential sources of lead exposure.   View interactive maps  to learn more.


Activities for Lead Poisoning Prevention Week

Lead poisoning is completely preventable.  For that reason, we are working with other Environmental Health Tracking Programs in the western states to bring attention to these issues and ask health care providers and parents to help us make progress to end childhood lead poisoning.  

Each day of Lead Poisoning Prevention Week will focus on a specific topic to highlight the different facts about childhood lead poisoning and strategies to help end it:
  • Monday: Lead is harmful to kids' brains and their learning potential
  • Tuesday: Children's lead exposure is 100% preventable
  • Wednesday: Make sure your family is safe from lead, and bring in lead-certified professionals to test and fix homes
  • Thursday: Children need to be tested for lead at 1-year and 2-year Well Child visits

Get involved!

Follow the campaign and spread the word on social media by using the hashtags #LeadTestInTheWest and #LPPW2017 .  For more information about this campaign or our research, contact us


The California Environmental Health Tracking Program is a program of the Public Health Institute and part of a national initiative coordinated by the National Environmental Public Health Tracking Program.  
This publication was supported by the Cooperative Agreement Number 1 NUE1EH001343-01, funded by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.