Session 1

Hazards of Lead (risks/health issues of contaminated soils)

Heavy metals, and particularly lead, pose significant ongoing health hazards in areas like Toledo, OH. The impact of lead is especially great in young children due to hand-to-mouth ingestion of contaminated soils.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention note that there is no safe level of lead. In 2020, 5.8% of children under six years of age in the Toledo area who were tested had blood lead levels (BLL) above the CDC action level.

Elevated BLL in children can cause several lifelong developmental and behavioral problems including reduced IQ and attention span, hyperactivity, impaired growth, learning disabilities, hearing loss, and insomnia.