WASHINGTON, March 10 (UPI) -- At least eight District of Columbia children have elevated levels of lead in their blood, perhaps from the district's tainted water delivery system.
Test results released Tuesday showed four additional children had high lead levels, the Washington Post reported. Four children were previously identified as having elevated lead levels, which can lead to brain and nerve damage.
Authorities have instituted an aggressive testing regime following disclosures that areas with some 2,3000 houses in the District of Columbia receive water through lead-lined pipes.
Lynette Stokes, head of the D.C. lead poison prevention program, told The Post that some 3,700 children younger than 6 years have elevated lead levels. Lead poisoning can also come from the digestion of lead-based paints chips.
Acting D.C. Chief Medical Officer Daniel Lucey told the newspaper the early test results are "encouraging," but officials are not sure the children who have high levels of lead come from the areas with water problems.
"If it turns out that there are risk factors for lead independent of the presence of lead service pipes, then we have to face that ... It would be a whole other order of challenge," Lucey said.
