Officials with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment are investigating 30 cases of Saline County children with high levels of lead in their blood and have scheduled a public meeting to discuss the issue.
KDHE will hold the meeting on Tuesday, June 21st at 6:30 p.m. at the Salina Community Theatre, 303 E. Iron.
Saline County Health Department officials say there are about 30 children, ages 0 to 15, with elevated blood lead levels throughout Saline County. The elevated blood leves were discovered through routine blood testing that was conducted between January 2015 and March 2016.
In a report recently submitted to the Saline County Commission, Health Department Director Jason Tiller said there were 23 potential cases of lead poisoning that have been investigated so far this year. Tiller said there was no specific pattern to suggest how these children were exposed. He indicated that the problem arose after several families had their children’s blood tested for lead at their family doctor’s office and at Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City.
The focus of KDHE’s investigation is on children that have already been found to have elevated blood lead levels.
According to KDHE, lead paint used in older homes is the most common exposure for children. The usage of lead paint was banned in 1978. Tiller said there are other types of exposure, but it takes testing of the child’s home and environment to determine where the source of the lead is, and then steps must be taken to remove the lead hazard.
In a release by the Kansas Health Institute, KDHE spokesman Ashton Rucker said an expansive investigation will be conducted.
“KDHE is looking into a variety of possible scenarios and causes that could lead to lead exposure and elevated blood lead levels,” Rucker said. “Once the investigation has been concluded, the agency will have a clearer idea regarding the source or sources linked to elevated blood lead levels.”
Tiller said blood levels above 5 micrograms per deciliter are a trigger for reporting lead exposure and appear on the report as Blood Lead Poisoning. The Center of Disease Control and Prevention recommends that lead screening be conducted for all children at the ages of 1 and 2 and on children that are between 36 to 72 months old that have not previously been screened.
According to the CDC, there are often no obvious symptoms and there is no way to correct health effects caused by lead exposure. KDHE officials say lead exposure can affect nearly every system in the body. Even at lower levels, it can affect such things as academic performance and even the ability for the child to pay attention.
Officials with KDHE will conduct a discussion and take questions about their investigation at the June 21st meeting. They will present plans that are in place to determine the potential causes of the elevated blood lead levels and as well as provide information on how to prevent lead exposure.
Effected residents that have been included in the investigation will be contacted by KDHE staff and will be invited to attend the meeting.