Wide Disparities in Childhood Lead Poisoning Revealed by City-Level Data

Lead in blood has been linked to numerous pediatric health problems with cognitive function, motor skills, attention and behavior, and lower IQ. Leading federal agencies note that there is no safe blood lead level for children.

In 2022, more than 12,000 children living in big cities had elevated blood lead levels (≥5 micrograms per deciliter, the CDC’s blood lead reference value during 2012-2021).

Children living in cities with the highest poverty rates and oldest homes were disproportionately affected by lead, namely 4x higher prevalence of elevated blood lead compared to children living in other cities.

This was the most striking finding in analyses conducted by the Urban Health Collaborative at Drexel University's Dornsife School of Public Health using data from childhood lead poisoning programs in 34 of the largest U.S. cities that comprise the Big Cities Health Coalition (BCHC).