On Lead, violent behavior, and America today

Do you realize that "The removal of lead from gasoline in 1990, regarded by many as one of the major public health triumphs of the 20th century, had an immediate impact. Between 1976 and 1994, the mean blood lead concentration in children dropped from 13.7 mcg/dL to 3.2 mcg/dL, in direct proportion to the amount of tetraethyl lead produced. One could want no clearer testimony to the efficacy of a well-conceived and consistently applied public health policy." Further, "there is a dose response relationship between lead in bones and self reported delinquent behavior in children - grounds for an arrest" and "study of prisoners in Cincinnati finds strong relationship between bone lead and number of arrests" and "statistical analysis of lead in environment vs. murder rate 21 years later is very powerful". So violent and irational behavior is an outcome of lead poisoning. Beyond the statistical proof of how this impacts society, and each of us, REALNEO's Phillip and I have seen the impact in a clinical setting, by visiting the Lead Clinic at MetroHealth and speaking with patients there, and their families, and our observations were highly disturbing.

The patients who come to the clinic have received notice their children's blood tests indicate elevated lead levels. The reactions of the parents seem to range from ignorant indifference to ignorant panic - all ignorant to the sources of lead poison around them and the harm it has caused their families. Clearly no parents understand what they are dealing with, other than unhealthy children.

The director of the clinic, a Florence Nightingale meets Mother Teresa Pediatric Nurse Practitioner named Roberta Anderson, RN, CPNP, shows such love and skill in her work with these families and children that she must be recognized as one of the great humanitarians of this region - in addition to directing the MetroHealth Lead Clinic, she Co-Chairs the Medical Subcommittee of the Greater Cleveland Lead Advisory Council (GCLAC) and is on the Board of Directors of Concerned Citizens Organized Against Lead (CCOAL), for which she is not compensated, so her commitment to service and the public health of Northeast Ohio exceeds that of any person I've met in the medical community, and she should be viewed as a role model for all doctors and nurses here to follow - they should challenge themselves to donate so much of their time to public health.

The MetroHealth Lead Clinic was established out of the settlement of a law suit of lead poisoned victims against the Cleveland Metropolitan Housing Authority, providing funding for five years, which is about to run out. In the mean time, Roberta schedules meetings with Elevated Blood Level lead victims and their parents to attempt to determine the causes of the poisoning, through constructive discussions with the parents, advises on how to eliminate further lead exposure in the victim's life. provides free cleaning supplies and vitamins (photo below), evaluates the condition and medical needs of the patient, including closely monitoring their medical data on a very powerful Patient Medical Records System called EPIC, prescribes treatment, and schedules follow-up medical interventions and the application of other social services as required for the health of the child.

In the process, she sees the impact of lead poisoning in the trenches, of which Phillip and I got a glimpse through a three hour visit to the clinic and discussions with patients and their parents. My observations include that children are so beautiful and wonderful, and that lead poisoning changes them dramatically for life, and that this has a huge impact on their families. What impacts on the children?... Violent outbursts, uncontrollable behavior,  slowed mental development... tragedy. What impacts on the family... having to deal with that for life.

I share this with readers of realneo to raise your awareness of the direct harm of this toxic substance, and to make you think about the fact that if you were born before leaded gasoline was outlawed, in 1990, you were lead poisoned from birth - probably around 13 mcg/dl, which is far above a safe level - and you have physical and mental capacity damage, including reduced I.Q. and a tendency to violent and irational behavior. If, in addition to that, you have lived in a house built before 1978, when leaded paint was outlawed, you were probably exposed to lead dust, lead chips and further brain and other physical damage. If you renovated any of such a house - sanded a window sill or door, for example - or even have refinished old lead painted furniture, you probably exposed yourself and everyone around you to very high levels of lead, which will impact you and those you poisoned until they die. Something to think about, at least in making your life choices going forward, and in rationalizing the behavior of those around you, in work and pleasure. Most of us are lead poisoned, and we are not in control of our lives anymore.