By Alison Morales
Studies show that nearly 450,000 of the nation's 22 million children under the age of six have blood-lead levels high enough to impair their ability to think.
My best friend's baby brother was named Javier Torres. They lived just across the street from my apartment building on Cesar Chavez Avenue on the corner of Evergreen. Javier loved to play in his apartment complex, composed of sixteen residences in a crowded East Los Angeles neighborhood. He was a lively, high-spirited young child who longed to drive a big rig like his father. He would sit next to him and pretend to be his navigator.
One Saturday afternoon, Javier complained of abdominal cramps and diarrhea. His parents decided to take him to a nearby Family Clinic where they explained to the doctor Javier's condition. Javier's parents also told the doctor that in recent weeks, they noticed that their son was inactive and irritable, playing less with his friends. His mother also had a difficult time getting him to go to bed each night as he was restless and could not sleep. Because of his abdominal cramps, he lost weight. The physician was baffled as all of these symptoms were present without a fever. The doctor sent Javier home with some medicine to alleviate his stomach cramps and told his mother to give him 7-Up for his upset stomach and to stop his diarrhea.
Despite the doctor's efforts, Javier's condition worsened. He continued vomiting and was not able to ingest any kind of food. He began walking with an unstable gait. Javier also showed changes in consciousness and, soon enough, he suffered a seizure. Scared and panic-stricken, his parents dialed 911. An ambulance took Javier to the County Medical Center, located just a few blocks from their home. The tests showed swelling in Javier's brain, which physicians mistook for meningitis or acute encephalitis. They also thought that Javier could have an abscess, infection, pus, or even a tumor in his brain. After running a series of tests, the doctors finally arrived at an accurate diagnosis: little Javier had Plumbism, otherwise known as lead poisoning.
In 1991, the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services identified lead as the "number one environmental threat to the health of children in the United States" (US EPA). Although it has silently killed millions across the country, lead poisoning is preventable. To identify the most effective strategies to reduce lead hazards, especially in children, a plan needs to exist. This plan requires a collaboration of community, housing, school, government, political, and medical representatives.
Lead is found practically everywhere. It is concealed in paint and emitted through leaded gasoline fumes, smoke stacks, and smelter plants. It is found in kitchenware and food containers, playgrounds, schools, old deteriorated buildings, and homes. Lead can be ingested in the food that we eat, in the air that we breathe, and in the water that we drink. It is also found in places such as "brownfields," or abandoned industrial sites, which are hotbeds for contaminants (Shelton A3). The fact that lead is present in practically all of the places that we believe to be safe indicates that the danger is inescapable. It is imperative to underscore the fact that it is the children who are the most at risk (Chua 4).
