Informal Report to the Waco City Council
Lead Blood Levels in the Community
The information contained in this report is primarily from a report from the Waco Human Environmental
Exposure to Lead (WHEEL) Initiative presented by Dr. Spencer Williams of Baylor University. The WHEEL
Initiative works with other professors at Baylor University, the Waco-McLennan County Public Health
District, Piper Child Development Center, and the Family Health Center.
The purpose of the initiative is:
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to help parents in Waco learn about lead poisoning
to help professionals in Waco talk to parents about lead poisoning
Children are tested for lead exposure at 12 and 24 months during child health visits to their physician’s
office. Questionnaires are used to determine risk levels to older children. Blood level guidelines are:
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10 micrograms per deciliter (EPA)
5 micrograms per deciliter (CDC)
> 70 micrograms per deciliter is generally considered fatal
The major source of exposure is paint dust and chips from houses built before 1978, the year lead paint
was banned. Other sources are polluted soil by leaded gasoline exhaust, environmental tobacco smoke,
some medicines and candles from Mexico, and some domestic items such as cookware or dinnerware,
and crayons and toys made in China.
Environmental Lead in McLennan County in 2011
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1.3% of tested children have lead concentrations in their blood higher than 10
micrograms/deciliter (Texas : 0.6%)
60.2% of housing was built before 1980 (Texas: 46.8%)
15% of tested children under the age of 6 living in the 76707 zip code had elevated blood lead
levels (highest in the county)
Prolonged exposure to lead can interfere with normal brain development and lower a child’s IQ. Studies
have shown that effects can occur below the guideline levels. At 10 micrograms/deciliters, 7-8 IQ points
are lost, and 1-3 more as the level approaches 20. Other studies have shown that groups of leadexposed children performed worse on average on tests of fine motor skills, language, memory, learning,
and attention. Still other studies have shown the impact of blood lead is also evident in age-specific
arrest and incarceration trends.
Reducing lead exposures can return big short and long term benefits to the community. The primary
sources of exposure to lead are usually lead-based paints and lead-contaminated soil. Our best defense
is to educate parents of children at risk; identify potential sources of lead; and encourage good cleaning
practices.
Upcoming WHEEL Initiative Project
Community-Based Participatory Research
Goals
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Identify and recruit specific children and families who have contact with lead in their
environment
Identify places where lead is a problem, and change the equation for children in Waco
Empower the community at large, at-risk populations, and stakeholders to make broad-scale
changes in environmental public health
(David Litke, Environmental Health Program Administrator and Janet Jones, Health Educator for the
Health District participate on the WHEEL Initiative)