Lead Research Team
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Who Are We
El Paso, Texas is one of over 3000 cities nationwide with unacceptably high rates of child lead exposure. We are an interdisciplinary research group committed to reducing child lead exposure in El Paso neighborhoods. We have been conducting this work since 2006. To achieve our goal, our team integrates knowledge from experts in the fields of pediatric health and mental health, public health, environmental sciences, and environmental and civil engineering. Over the past 14 years, our published studies and community outreach and education efforts have contributed to the understanding and solving this problem here and nationwide. We are currently testing a novel community-engaged mitigation strategy for families living in downtown El Paso neighborhoods at high risk of early childhood lead exposure. Our approach includes neighborhood-level education on child lead exposure solutions, free child blood lead level screening, and assistance for families with simple, lowest-cost methods to detect and mitigate lead hazards in their homes.
Why is child lead exposure STILL a problem in U.S. neighborhoods?
Multiple risk factors combine to create an ongoing risk of child lead exposure in many cities nationwide. In El Paso, Texas, major sources of child lead exposure include lead-based paint and old leaded pipes and fixtures common in un-renovated pre-1978 housing; legacy soil contamination from industries that used to operate in close proximity to downtown neighborhoods; and consumer products common to the region, including traditional pottery, some types of cookware, some spices, some cosmetics, some children’s toys and children’s jewelry, and traditional Mexican candies available in our border region. Particles from lead-containing products can accumulate in household dust which children may breathe or put into their mouths. If leaded paint is still present in homes, children may get exposed to lead by eating paint chips, which taste sweet to young children. There is no “safe” level of lead exposure for children. Exposure to lead is especially bad for children below the age of 5 years and is harmful to children of all ages. Our work has shown that children living in high-risk areas must be tested frequently for lead exposure. When a child is found to have lead exposure, the sources must be identified and mitigated.
Funding Sources
Over the years, this work has been made possible by funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD); the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); the National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Institute for Child Health and Human Development; The Rockefeller University Center for Clinical and Translational Science; the UTEP Border Biomedical Research Center (BBRC); the UTEP Center for Environmental Resources Management; and the J. Edward and Helen M. C. Stern Professorship in Neuroscience (CS).