North Carolina Personal Injury Legal NewsFor the first time in 20 years, the United States Centers For Disease Control is considering lowering the threshold blood lead level. The current level is 10 ug/dl and this level dictates how many health agencies address childhood lead poisoning. A recent vote by the CDC Advisory Committee on Childhood Lead Poisoning recommends lowering the level to 5 ug/dl. Apparently, the recommendation was made as the result of mounting evidence that the harmful effects of lead poisoning with lower levels of lead.
Articles Posted in North Carolina Lead Poisoning
Baltimore, Maryland Clinic Sued For Deliberately Exposing Black Children To Lead Poisoning
In a terrible story, a Baltimore, Maryland medical facility has been sued in a class action for allegedly deliberately exposing inner city black children to hazardous lead in order to measure whether efforts to control contamination were effective. The clinic, Kennedy Krieger, is affiliated with Johns Hopkins which is a renowned medical institute. The case has been filed as a class action. Click here for more on this story.
Some Consumer Goods Still Contain Excessive Lead
Despite recent bans and recalls, many imported consumer goods still contain excessive levels of lead. Millions of Shrek glasses at McDonalds and children’s clothing and jewelry were recently tested and found to contain excessive lead. For more, click here.
Study of Lead Effects at Low Levels Could Affect EPA Regulations
From 9-17-10 Inside EPA, an article on a new analysis planned of health
impacts of low-level lead exposure.
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Class Action Claims Lead Taints Food
As reported, a class action has been filed alleging that lead has contaminated more than 100 food products for babies and children. Named as defendants in Denver are Coca-Cola, Gerber, Motts and the Hain Celestial Group. Named plaintiff Suzanne Kennedy claims the defendants produce dozens of supposedly kid-friendly products with lead levels that violate California’s safe drinking water standards.
Lead Poisoning Linked to Poor School Performance
As reported by the Detroit Free Press, a large study of over then thousand children indicates a link between between higher lead levels and poor academic performance. About 60% of Detroit Public School students who performed below their grade level on 2008 standardized tests had elevated lead levels.
Lead Poisoned Children Numbers Declining
As reported by the New York Times today, the number of lead poisoned children is continuing to decline.
If you have a question about a North Carolina lead poisoned child, please contact Mike Malone at Hendren and Malone.
EPA issues new Lead-Based Paint rule
As reported by USA Today, on starting April 22, contractors who work on pre-1978 houses must be certified in lead-based paint safe practices.
Indeed, this is a good thing for children as lead poisoning can result from improper lead-based paint practices during renovations.
Rhode Island Landlord Cited by EPA for Lead-Paint Violations
According to a recent article in the Providence Journal, the Environmental Protection Agency announced Wednesday that it is proposing thousands of dollars in penalties for a Woonsocket landlord who allegedly failed to inform tenants of risks to exposure to lead paint.
Lead Poisoning Study Shows Kidney Damage at Low Blood Lead Levels
Reuters Health recently reported that researchers at Johns Hopkins University have just annonuced the results of a study that shows evidence of early kidney damage in children with lead levels far below what is normally considered dangerous. The researchers studied test results from 769 adolescents aged 12 to 20 who took partin the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 1988 to 1994. “Our findings were particularly striking because we saw slightly decreased kidney function in healthy children without conditions that could account for it, and this could spell more kidney trouble down the road as these children get older or if they acquire additional risk factors for kidney disease, such as high blood pressure and diabetes,” said Dr. Susan Furth of Johns Hopkins Children’s Center, who worked on the study.