Introduction to "Pb in Urban Soils".

Soil lead (Pb) contamination is a widespread public environmental and health concern in urban lands, where the main sources of Pb are combustion of leaded gasoline and deterioration of exterior paints. Lead is a neurotoxin that can cause learning disabilities and behavior problems in children. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control reported that 16% of children aged 1-5 years living in urban communities had >10 micrograms Pb per deciliter blood (Agency for Toxicology of Substances and Disease registry, 2007), a value formerly termed “level of concern.” Experts recently adopted a reference level of 5 micrograms Pb per deciliter blood to identify children aged 1-5 with elevated blood lead levels. This reference value is based on the 97.5th percentile of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey blood lead distribution in children based on data from 2007-2008 and 2009-2010. In order to prevent deleterious effects of Pb on humans, especially children, scientists must identify and inact methods of soil testing, Pb amelioration, and community action. The purpose of this symposium is to provide the state of the science on soil Pb chemistry & bioavailability, testing & interpretation, remediation, health risk, and civic communication.