The science, history behind this year's lead scare

It may seem that the story of the year in Christmas-giving was lead in toys. Numerous scares prompted recalls, political volleys and consumer bewilderment.

It's the latest twist in a health problem that has perplexed society since the Roman civilization.

Lead's qualities make it a manufacturer's dream. It's cheap, accessible, malleable and useful in a variety of products from pottery to gasoline to paint.

But widespread concerns about the metal's ill effects prompted federal bans on its use starting in the 1970s. As a result, the population's daily lead intake dropped dramatically.

This, however, didn't end the problem; experts warn the problems linked to lead can extend well beyond imported toys. Lead still poses a hazard particularly in older houses and the soil near major roadways.

"The vast majority of elevated lead poisonings are not from toys but from the inside of people's homes in leaded paint," public health historian Gerald Markowitz said.

Compared to unsuspecting civilians centuries ago, people today at least are more prepared.

"It's wonderful people are alert and aware and demanding recalls and that recalls are occurring," said Markowitz, a professor at John Jay College at the City University of New York.

How it works

When people ingest or inhale significant quantities of lead, it disrupts normal bodily functions by mimicking other metals such as calcium or iron.

These abnormal interactions can poison enzyme systems, which spark necessary interactions in the body and cause direct damage to DNA, experts say.

At first, lead settles in the soft tissues, such as the heart and liver, but it eventually moves to the bones and teeth.

In young children, lead exposure can cause development problems that affect learning and behavior, said Helen Binns, a Children's Memorial Hospital pediatrician who specializes in lead poisoning.

It doesn't take much lead in the bloodstream to raise alarms.

Lead levels of 10 micrograms or higher per deciliter of blood are considered unsafe. A deciliter is equivalent to about 3 fluid ounces while a microgram is comparable to one-millionth of the contents of a packet of sugar.

"Though there is no safe level," Binns said, "we need to limit exposure to children when we can."

Other adverse effects of lead exposure in children and adults include damage to the nervous system, increased blood pressure and anemia.

Lead levels of 60 to 70 micrograms per deciliter can cause seizures, while higher amounts result in coma and death, experts warn.

"It's not a very specific toxin," said Neal Langerman, of the American Chemical Society's division of chemical health and safety. "It hits lots and lots of physiological functions. That's why we see such a diverse set of symptoms."

Heavy history

Lead used in pipes conveying water and therefore contaminating people has been listed as a major cause of the fall of the Roman empire.

"We've had a concern about lead for centuries, but it's really after 1900 that issues of lead poisoning from children eating paint has been identified as a major medical issue," Markowitz said.

In addition to paint, lead once was widely used as a bug spray and in gasoline to help the engine run more smoothly.

Rising concerns about children falling ill from sucking paint off walls or window sills caused the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission to ban house paint with lead in 1978.

Earlier in 1973, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency had started decreasing lead amounts in gasoline, and that continued in the 1980s until only unleaded gasoline was permitted.

"Up until the 1970s, we had children dying from lead poisoning on a routine basis from being poisoned by peeling paint chips in the home," said Rosemary Sokas, physician and director of the Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Division at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

The bans worked, Sokas said, adding that the average lead level of children in the United States in the mid-1970s was 15 micrograms per deciliter compared to 2 now.

But the danger is still out there.

"To this day, in any house that's been constructed before 1978, you can presume to have underlying coats of lead, particularly around windows where there's friction and lead becomes dust-borne," Sokas said.

The problem exists in low-income urban neighborhoods, but it's also a hazard for homeowners doing remodeling who don't take proper precautions to avoid lead exposure.

The Great Lakes Centers for Occupational and Environmental Safety and Health at UIC is working in Cook and Kane counties to educate the public about lead in homes through posting warnings in paint and hardware stores.

"The purpose is to alert homeowners and remodelers that there still are hazards from lead paint in homes built prior to 1978," said Fred Carlson, Kane County department of public health environmental health specialist.

Kane County has been included in the project because of lead levels of concern in two areas on the east sides of Elgin and Aurora where much of the housing is older and rented out, Carlson said.

In Illinois in 2005, 8,123 children were found to have lead poisoning.

Help for parents

A quick visit to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's Web site shows a substantial list of toy recalls ranging from Curious George dolls to wooden alphabet blocks pulled off shelves this month due to lead content.

Unfortunately, the site won't indicate what the level of lead was in the toys, Binns says.

Parents who are worried their child may be exposed are advised to have a doctor do a simple blood test.

Binns also offers a few common-sense suggestions.

"Consume less," she said. "You don't need a gazillion toys in your house. Purchase from reliable vendors with brand names you trust so you know they're actually looking at their toys."

Dealing with smaller manufacturers has helped Lisle-based Best Toys, a toy distribution company.

Best Toys manufacturer's representative Christy Swanson said the company hasn't suffered through any recalls although many of its products are made in China.

After a rough year for the industry, "I hope it has bottomed out, so people aren't scared anymore," Swanson said.

For Rich Derr, owner of two Learning Express toy stores in Barrington and Lake Zurich, the recalls "in a perverse way have helped."

What he means is that consumers are asking more questions and being more discriminating.

"For us, it will be a record year," he said. "There's a lot of requests for wood and non-paint. People desire knowledge and they desire safety."