Seattle Public Schools | Untitled Document

Health Information

This section provides information on potential health risks for children exposed to lead in drinking water at school. Public Health - Seattle & King County recommends that parents with concerns about their child's exposure to lead should contact their health care provider. Public Health - Seattle & King County also offers health care services. Fees are assessed based on a family's ability to pay, and Medicaid and Medicare are accepted. For clinic locations and other information, call Public Health - Seattle & King County at 206-296-4600 or visit their web site at http://www.metrokc.gov/health.

Information on Lead in Drinking Water - Frequently Asked Questions

Seattle Public Schools engaged an independent toxicologist to develop an information sheet related to health risks from exposure to lead in drinking water at Seattle Public Schools. The Information Sheet is posted on this website. The detailed analysis of the data and conclusions summarized in the information sheet is available in the more extensive background report. The document and supporting analysis was also peer-reviewed and endorsed by a panel of independent scientists and health experts, and findings presented in the letters.

For all except four locations (fountains and fixtures) in the district, analysis of the 2000 drinking water samples drawn from Seattle Public Schools leads to these conclusions:

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have set a level of 10 micrograms of lead per deciliter of blood as the level below which a child is not considered to be lead-poisoned.
Based on the most conservative (worst case) scenario, the predicted increase in blood lead level from exposure to lead in school drinking water, for an average 6 to11 year old child (drinking an average amount of water) is 3.2 micrograms per deciliter (ug/dL) of blood. This included all of the sources that had a first draw result of 670 ppb or less. The average "background" blood lead level for children in King County, based on exposure to all other sources, is 1.5 ug/dL. Therefore the total predicted blood lead level is 4.7 ug/dL, which is below the current CDC level of 10 ug/dL.

Also based on the most conservative scenario, the predicted increase in blood lead level from exposure to drinking water at the four locations testing highest for lead (one each at AE II, Wedgwood, Madison at Boren, and Roosevelt at Lincoln), the predicted increase in blood lead level from exposure to school drinking water is between 5.7 and 7.0 ug/dL. Therefore the predicted blood lead level is up to 8.5 ug/dL, still below the CDC level of 10.
However, it is recommended that any parent or guardian with concerns about this topic contact their health care provider. Information about free and reduced price health services is provided below.

Health Information Resource Links

The following resources have been suggested by Public Health - Seattle & King County and offer useful links to information about lead contamination in water:

Public Health - Seattle & King County

http://www.metrokc.gov/HEALTH/tsp/lead.htm
Health Clinics - If your child does not have a primary health care provider, Public Health - Seattle & King County has primary care services available. Fees are charged based on a family's ability to pay, and Medicare and Medicaid are accepted. For more information please call 206-296-4600 or visit their website at http://www.metrokc.gov/health/locations/index.htm. Also, you can get information about low cost or no cost health insurance for children by calling 1-800-756-KIDS or by visiting http://www.metrokc.gov/health/insurance/index.htm. For more general information about lead and water call Public Health - Seattle & King County at 206-296-4932. In addition, Public Health - Seattle & King County has provided some general information that is included below.

Washington State Health Department

http://www.doh.wa.gov/ehp/dw/Programs/lead.htm

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/faq/leadinwater.htm

CDC Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention

http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/lead.htm

Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit, University of Washington

Toll-free: 877-543-2436

Public Health - Seattle & King County has provided the following general information about lead exposure:

There are many environmental sources of lead and no amount of lead is good for us, particularly for children. Children under the age of six are most vulnerable because they do not have a blood brain barrier formed. Very young children also have more hand-to-mouth behavior, spend more time on the floor where lead contaminated dust may be, and eat more food and water per pound than do adults.

Common sources of lead in our region include lead dust from chipping, peeling or otherwise deteriorating paint. Homes that are much older than about 25 years should be suspected to have lead paint in them. As long as the paint is not deteriorating, there is no exposure.

Soil adjacent to busy roadways may have lead deposited in it from cars that historically used leaded gasoline. Care should be taken with children so that they do not play in potentially contaminated dirt. Cover dirt with grass or other plants. Carefully wash food grown in gardens with potentially contaminated soil carefully.

Other sources of lead in our soil include pesticide residue, and industrial sources (for example, pollution from a Tacoma copper smelter blew over parts of King County for almost 100 years).

Parents who work in industries that use lead (e.g. batteries) can bring home lead on their clothing. Some "folk" remedies involve medicines that have lead. Candy wrappers from other countries have been found to have lead, as has pottery.

Lead occurs in the water, particularly when there was lead soldering used. Running water for a few minutes before use if the water hasn't been used flushes some of the lead out.

In short, there are many sources of lead in our environment and parents should take care to avoid all exposures.

If you are concerned about your child's exposure to lead, Public Health recommends that you discuss your child's risk with your primary care provider. If a blood lead screening is appropriate, your child will be given a finger stick test, not a venipuncture (needle) test. If it comes back positive, a follow-up venipuncture test would be advised.