State legislators are looking at strengthening Georgia law on lead exposure in children. There’s no safe level of lead exposure for kids, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the state’s law regarding when to intervene when a child tests for high lead levels lags behind federal guidelines.
Children who are exposed to lead can end up with lifelong challenges. It affects their brains and nervous systems and can cause learning and behavior issues.
CDC recommends that if a child has high enough levels in their blood, that there be a follow-up, for instance, to find and remove sources of lead in the child’s home. That threshold is 3.5 micrograms of lead per deciliter of blood. It was lowered last year, from 5 micrograms.
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