Resolution 08-01
Supporting Actions to Reduce Exposures to Lead to Benefit
Children’s Health, Learning and Futures
WHEREAS, Safety regulations for today’s toys and other products inadequately address the
presence of chemicals linked to harmful health and developmental impacts for children,
evidenced by the Consumer Products Safety Commission’s major recalls during 2007 and 2008
of popular toys common in households throughout Washington State; and
WHEREAS, Many toy recalls are in response to the disturbing detection of lead, a potent
neurotoxic chemical, which has been found in children’s lunchboxes, vinyl bibs and raincoats,
jewelry, candy, pottery, paint, wheel weights, hobby material, and other toys and products; and
WHEREAS, Lead is a heavy metal and proven neurotoxicant to the developing brain at very
low levels of exposure, with fetal or early childhood exposure linked to impaired learning and
development, including IQ deficits, language and attention difficulties, and increased aggression
and delinquency, with other health effects including decreased growth, decreased hearing
acuity, elevated blood pressure, and renal disorders1, and
WHEREAS, Infants and children are uniquely vulnerable to harmful chemical exposures,
including exposures to lead which impact the developing brain, with the potential for damage to
development that lasts a lifetime, with studies indicating that low level exposures to lead and
other toxic chemicals at key developmental windows have the potential to create serious
impacts to health, learning and behavior, with current science indicating there is no safe level of
exposure to lead above 2 microg/dL1; and
WHEREAS, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and American Academy
of Pediatrics (AAP) recommend that “health-care providers conduct blood lead tests on children
enrolled in Medicaid and those identified as being at risk on the basis of the state or local
screening plan or the risk assessment process, and Federal policy requires that all children
enrolled in Medicaid receive screening blood lead tests at ages 12 and 24 months and that
blood lead screening be performed for children aged 36-72 months who have not been
screened previously”2; and
WHEREAS, One of the greatest public health victories recognized widely is the removal of
lead from gasoline, emphasizing the imperative to remove lead from toys, paint and other
products; and
WHEREAS, We have an ethical duty and responsibility to ensure that children develop in an
environment in which they can reach and maintain their full potential3; and
WHEREAS, the Washington State legislature in 2008 overwhelmingly passed, and Governor
Gregoire signed, the Children's Safe Products Act (E1SHB 2647) that limits lead, cadmium, and
phthalates in toys and other children’s products4; and
WHEREAS, The Washington State Department of Ecology and Department of Health have
developed a Lead Chemical Action plan, as a component of Washington State’s program to
reduce and eliminate persistent bioaccumulative toxic chemicals (PBTs)5; and
WHEREAS, The Washington State Department of Health, Expert Panel Recommendations
Childhood Lead Exposure of July 2008 restated that primary prevention to eliminate childhood
lead exposure is the highest priority and recommended increased education, screening and
evaluation of lead exposure in children6; and
WHEREAS, The Washington State Public Health Association (WSPHA) has established prior
policy supporting broader safer chemicals policies7, and the elimination of persistent
bioaccumulative toxic chemicals8, to improve public health, recognizing the imperative and
ethical responsibility to protect children’s health and their futures; therefore, be it
RESOLVED, THAT:
WSPHA encourages clinicians to address potential lead exposures for high risk infants and
children, providing guidance on reducing exposures, and to follow CDC and AAP
recommendations that health-care providers conduct blood lead tests on children identified as
being at risk on the basis of the state or local screening plan or the risk assessment process;
and be it further”
RESOLVED, THAT:
WSPHA supports a reduction of the CDC blood lead level guidelines for action from 10 µg/dL
to 2 µg/dL as a crucial step toward achieving a goal that no child in Washington State has
a blood lead level above 2 µg/d; and be it further
RESOLVED, THAT:
WSPHA supports policy actions and encourages its members to support policy actions that
develop a comprehensive plan to address and reduce all potentially toxic chemicals in toys and
consumer products in order to improve and protect the health of infants and children, our must
vulnerable populations, as well as public health in communities throughout Washington State.
Signed by: Nancy Goodloe, WSPHA President 2007-2008
References
1
Gilbert SG, Weiss B. (2006) A rationale for lowering the blood lead action level from 10 to 2 microg/dL.
Neurotoxicology. 27(5): 693-701.
2
Interpreting and Managing Blood Lead Levels <10 µg/dL in Children and Reducing Childhood Exposures to Lead.
Recommendations of CDC's Advisory Committee on Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention; MMWR,
Recommendations and Reports, November 2, 2007/56(RR08); 1-14; 16.
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5608a1.htm or PEDIATRICS Vol. 120 No. 5 November 2007, pp.
e1285-e1298 (doi:10.1542/peds.2005-1770).
3
Gilbert, S. G. (2005). Ethical, legal, and social issues: our children's future. Neurotoxicology 26, 521-530.
4
Children's Safe Products Act (E1SHB 2647) http://apps.leg.wa.gov/documents/billdocs/200708/Pdf/Bills/Session%20Law%202008/2647-S2.SL.pdf.
5
Lead Chemical Action Plan -- http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/swfa/pbt/ .
6
Washington State Department of Health, Expert Panel Recommendations
Childhood Lead Exposure, July 2008. http://www.doh.wa.gov/ehp/Lead/screening.htm
7
Washington State Public Health Association Resolutions 07-03 Supporting Federal and Washington State
Action to Implement a Comprehensive Chemicals Policy to Improve and Protect Public Health, and 06-04
Supporting Safer Chemicals Policies to Benefit Human and Environmental Health
8
Washington State Public Health Association Resolution 06-02 Endorsing the Precautionary Principle as a
Public Health Tool for Preventing Harm from Persistent Bioaccumulative Toxic Chemicals (PBTs).
Organizations Supporting Similar Policies:
Institute for Neurotoxicology and Neurological Disorders
Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility
Washington State Nurses Association
Washington State Association of Occupational Health Nurses
Individuals Endorsing the Resolution:
Supporting Actions to Reduce Exposures to Lead to Benefit Children’s Health, Learning
and Futures
Laura J. Hart, MD -- President, Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility
Richard Grady, MD
Margaret Shield, PhD
Sue Heffernan, MN, RN
Karen Bowman, MN, RN, COHN-S -- Karen Bowman & Associates, Inc.
Sara Cate, MD
Katherine Davies M.A., D.Phil. Director, Center for Creative Change, Antioch University Seattle
Elise Miller, M,Ed. – Executive Director, Institute for Children’s Environmental Health
Submitting Author:
Steven Gilbert, PhD, DABT
Executive Director
Institute for Neurotoxicology and Neurological Disorders
8232 – 14th Ave NE
Seattle WA 98115
206-527-0926
sgilbert@innd.org