Lead Screening Policy & Guidance - Health Effects

Office of Environmental Health

The Screening Policy & Guidance for Preventing Childhood Lead Poisoning in Arizona

Table of Contents	The AZ Childhood Lead Screening Policy	Lead Poisoning/Prevention

Health Effects	Pathways to Lead Exposure	Sources of Lead Exposure

Childhood Lead Poisoning in AZ	Anticipatory Guidance	Blood Lead Screening Recommendations

Diagnostic Testing For Children w/ Elevated Blood Lead Levels	Follow-Up Testing For Children w/ Elevated Blood Lead Levels	Reporting of Elevated Blood Lead Levels and Follow-Up Svcs

Comprehensive Follow-Up Svcs	Clinical Mgmt	Environmental Case Follow-Up

Mgmt of Lead Hazards	References	Appendix A

Appendix B [PDF 79K] (Acrobat Reader^™ needed for viewing)	Appendix C-1	Appendix C-2

Health Effects

Lead poisoning is defined as a blood lead level of >10 µg/dL in children. According to the CDC, blood lead levels as low as 10 µg/dL affect children's ability to learn. Very high blood lead levels (>70 µg/dL) cause seizures, coma, and death. Lead poisoning affects virtually every system in the body. Most children are asymptomatic. Signs and symptoms of lead poisoning may include:

Lack of appetite
Vomiting
Fatigue
Anemia
Decreased intelligence
Impaired neurobehavioral development
Decreased stature or growth
Decreased hearing acuity
Abdominal pain
Attention deficit
Seizures, coma, and death in severe cases

A downloadable version of The Screening Policy & Guidance for Preventing Childhood Lead Poisoning in Arizona [PDF 586K] is available.  The download is in PDF format. It is necessary to have Acrobat Reader^™ on your machine to view the download.

Permission to quote from or reproduce materials from this publication is granted when due acknowledgment is made.