TAMPA, Fla. — Lead exposure in children is still a problem.
Experts said it can come from paint in older homes or aging water pipes.
Pediatrician Dr. Rachel Dawkins is with Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg.
She said there is added danger for children, whose brains and nervous systems are growing and developing, so any exposure to lead can be concerning.
“We think about lead exposure in kids causing neurodevelopment disabilities, so it might cause some problems with learning. Some problems with behavior. It can cause lower IQs,” said Dawkins.
Many cities have older water pipes made from lead.
Now, the Environmental Protection Agency is proposing a new rule that would require them to be replaced within ten years.
That’s speeding progress toward a goal from the Biden Administration to remove all lead pipes.
The EPA said Florida has the most lead water lines in the nation.
Dr. Dawkins said she hasn’t seen lead exposure create a major issue locally, but it has in other places.
“We’ve seen in cities like Detroit where this is a huge problem a few years back that children are having a high problem with lead toxicity, and when they traced it back, it was to the water supply for the city. So I think it’s important for cities to be proactive in improving the infrastructure of how our water is supplied,” said Dawkins.
Children are usually screened for lead when they turn one and again at two years old.
Doctors said excessive lead exposure is also bad for adults, increasing the risk for cancer, stroke, and kidney disease.
The City of Tampa is spending millions of dollars a year to replace pipes. Some are more than a hundred years old.
