With new standards, more children considered at risk from lead in Philadelphia

Lead poisoning among children has declined in Philadelphia over the last decade, but families in Philadelphia’s poorest neighborhoods in the western and northern parts of the city still face a greater risk of exposure.

Meanwhile, new federal guidelines for what is considered a concerning level of lead exposure for kids mean more Philadelphia families may need to make their homes safer. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now considers a blood lead level of 3.5 micrograms of lead per deciliter of blood (μg/dL) a concern, down from a longtime standard of 5 μg/dL.

The new, lower threshold gives health officials an opportunity to identify kids at risk before they’re exposed to significantly harmful levels of lead, said Cheryl Bettigole, Philadelphia’s health commissioner.

“We want to intervene early,” she said. “It doesn’t mean your child is fated not to do well in life.”

» READ MORE: Lead poisoning in Philly kids has declined, new data show. Families still may need to take safety precautions.

A dashboard recently released by the Philadelphia Department of Public Health that tracks lead exposure among Philadelphia children showed a significant decline in 3-year-olds with concerning levels of lead exposure. About 11% of the city’s 3-year-olds, roughly 2,200 children, had blood lead levels of 3.5 μg/dL or more, compared with almost 30% in 2011.

Nationally, about 2.5% of children between ages 1 year old and 5 years old have blood lead levels of at least 3.5 μg/dL, according to the CDC.

The CDC considers a lead level of 5 μg/dL in adults elevated, though fetuses can experience reduced growth if mothers have lower lead levels than that.

The health department dashboard is likely to be updated intermittently throughout the year, department officials said.

Race and poverty still play a role in which Philadelphia kids are most vulnerable. Children living in a cluster of Philadelphia’s poorest, majority-Black neighborhoods remain the most at-risk for lead poisoning.

In nine zip codes in West and North Philadelphia, children were twice as likely to have elevated lead levels, compared with the city average. Those neighborhoods were Kingsessing, Cobbs Creek, Wynnefield, Brewerytown, West Kensington, Hunting Park, Germantown, Nicetown-Tioga, and Strawberry Mansion.

About 82% of the city’s 3-year-olds have been tested for lead between 2011 and 2021, the dashboard showed. In 2020, the pandemic dramatically affected screening rates — 7,000 fewer children younger than 6 were tested, compared with the year before, health officials said. Testing has since rebounded.

Still, less than 55% of Hispanic 3-year-olds were tested for lead between 2014 and 2021, compared with close to about 80% or better for all other demographics, a difference that may be influenced by language barriers, said Marilyn Howarth, a doctor and deputy director of the Philadelphia Regional Center for Children’s Environmental Health.

Public health officials touted their progress in reducing lead exposure during an October news conference to announce the new tracking dashboard. It initially relied on the older guidelines and showed that blood lead levels of at least 5 μg/dL had declined from 19% in 2011 to 6%. The city used the older metric because people who follow lead contamination tracking are more familiar with that number, officials said.

After The Inquirer asked for figures using the updated safety guidelines, the city updated the dashboard. Though the more current threshold showed more kids with a concerning level of lead exposure, it also showed greater progress in the city’s overall decline in worrisome lead levels over the last decade.

Exposure to even small amounts of lead, which is common in old house paints and pipes, can stunt children’s growth and lead to other behavior, vision, and speech problems.

A blood lead level of 3.5 μg/dL won’t have immediate health consequences, but by catching lower levels earlier, health departments can address a child’s exposure before it gets worse, Howarth said.

Acting quickly can ensure kids don’t become exposed to more potent doses of lead as they grow and are more able to reach or touch areas with lead dust or chipping lead paint.

In July, the health department lowered its threshold for triggering home remediation services. Now it is targeting homes with children whose lead levels exceed the CDC’s 3.5 μg/dL standard. Efforts include sending a team to deep-clean places in homes where lead deposits, such as in dust, are accumulating. They will also help families find funds for a more thorough home remediation, Bettigole said.

In 2011, the city mandated that landlords must screen for lead in properties where children under 6 years old live, which it expanded three years ago to all rental properties by 2022. About 82,000 rental properties, about 95% of all the rentals in the city, have been certified as either lead-free or safe.