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Lead Poisoning Facts
- The City of St. Louis had a lead poisoning rate of 31.1% among those children under the age of six who were tested in 2000. This compares to a national lead poisoning rate for preschoolers of close to 10 percent and a Missouri rate of 13.7%.
- Lead poisoning is the leading preventable disease of U.S. children. Both EPA and HHS have declared lead poisoning the No. 1 environmental disease of U.S. children.
- Even at low levels, lead poisoning causes loss of IQ and attention span, hyperactivity, aggressive behavior, reading disabiities, and other learning and behavioral problems.
- Children under age 6 are most vulnerable to lead poisoning.
- Childhood lead poisoning disproportionately affects minorities, disadvantaged, and low income people.
- Most children are poisoned by lead-based paint and dust hazards in their homes.
- An estimated 79% of St. Louis buildings were constructed prior to 1950 and 90% prior to 1978 when indoor lead paint was prohibited. The Health Department estimates about 140,000 housing units in St. Louis contain lead paint.
- Lead paint becomes a hazard when it begins to deteriorate and children are exposed to flaking and peeling paint.
- Since lead-based paint is no longer in use, we can eradicate lead poisoning by cleaning up and controlling the old sources of lead paint.
- Missouri is the leading producer of lead in the country.
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 Official Web Site of the City of St. Louis
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This Page Last Modified:
11/19/07
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