ANN ARBOR—A new interactive educational program aimed at preventing lead poisoning has been developed at the University of Michigan School of Public Health.

The Interactive Lead Education Project has created an educational CD-ROM designed to help individuals and groups reduce lead poisoning and lead exposure. The CD-ROM is appropriate for middle and high school classrooms, and is accompanied by an activities guide for teachers. The software is also suitable for use in libraries and community centers.

Its developers expect the CD-ROM to play a role in reducing the number of children in Michigan urban areas who are adversely affected by lead in their living environment, says Glen Andersen, project director.

Lead poisoning usually results from the ingestion of lead dust, which is created by deteriorating lead paint, often found on the exterior or interior of older homes. Young children are most sensitive to lead exposure since lead can permanently damage a child’s brain during critical stages of development. Exposure can also impair motor skills and cause behavior problems.

New media technologies helped make this an interactive educational product which is interesting, informative, and clearly illustrates how residents can reduce the threat of lead poisoning in their communities, according to Andersen. The project is based in the U-M Department of Health Behavior and Health Education.

“The medium allows us to graphically illustrate procedures like lead dust sampling in a clear, understandable manner, which helps residents confidently and easily collect their own lead dust samples. Lead dust sampling plays an important role in determining of a home poses a lead hazard,” says Andersen.

While the United States has made great strides in reducing average blood lead levels over the past 20 years, lead poisoning remains a serious threat to children living in urban areas, says Andersen. In some Michigan urban areas, nearly 50 percent of children under age 6 have blood lead levels above what the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) considers a level of concern. For the period between

Commenting on the project, a Detroit teacher who helped pilot the program said lead poisoning education is very important for inner-city families who have more than their share of environmental dangers in their daily lives. Increasing awareness and providing information to address the problem are vital to improving the health and safety of children in these areas, Andersen says.

Since lead poisoning is preventable if lead hazards are identified and eliminated, he adds, teaching families how to find and eliminate lead hazards will go a long way towards reducing the yearly number of lead poisonings.

The software covers numerous topics, such as history, health effects, lead hazard detection methods, and lead hazard reduction strategies.

The software and teachers’ guide cost $10 and can be ordered by calling the Michigan Center for Career and Technical Education, 1-800 292-1606. The project was funded by a mini-grant from the Community-Based Public Health Project at the U-M School of Public Health.

Michigan Center for Career and Technical EducationU-M News and Information ServicesUniversity of Michigan