LEAD Action News
LEAD Action News vol 5 no 3, 1997 ISSN 1324-6011
The journal of The LEAD (Lead Education and Abatement Design) Group Inc.

About Us

Contact Us

egroups

Library
Fact Sheets

Home Page

Media Releases

Newsletters

Q & A

Referral Lists

Reports

Site Map

Slide Shows /Films

Subscribe / Donate

Useful Links

Council Lead Project

Search this Site

Page Views

     

Cost to the Community of Elevated Blood Lead Levels in Children Aged 0-4 Years

In 1993 the National Medical Health and Research Council set an Australian goal for ALL Australians to be below 10 micrograms per decilitre [µg/dL] of lead in the blood.

The following table sets out costs to the community for increases in blood lead levels - resulting in IQ point loss and therefore cost to the community in remedial education costs, health costs and lost earning potential.

BLOOD LEAD LEVEL
(in micrograms per decilitre)
Change in IQ points
(allowing only 2 IQ point loss per 10µg/dL)
Cost of IQ change per child
(allowing $5,190 per IQ point lost)

1.5µg/dL to 2.5 µg/dL
3 µg/dL to 5 µg/dL
4.5 µg/dL to 7.5 µg/dL
6 µg/dL to 10 µg/dL
8 µg/dL to 12 µg/dL
9 µg/dL to 15 µg/dL
12 µg/dL to 20 µg/dL
16 µg/dL to 24 µg/dL
18 µg/dL to 30 µg/dL
21 µg/dL to 35 µg/dL

to 0.5
0.6 to 1.0
0.9 to 1.5
1.2 to 2.0
1.6 to 2.4
1.8 to 3
2.4 to 4
3.2 to 4.6
3.6 to 6
4.2 to 7

$1,557 to $2,595
$3,114 to $5,190
$4,671 to $7,785
$6,228 to $10,380
$8,304 to $12,456
$9,342 to $15,570
$12,456 to $20,760
$16,608 to $24,912
$18,684 to $31,140
$21,798 to $36,300

(Source: Dr. Gul IZMIR, 1993 NSW EPA, reference: "Interdepartmental Lead Taskforce: New South Wales Lead Management Action Plan. Background Papers" Publ. NSW EPA 1994. This reference can be viewed at libraries such as The LEAD Group library at Summer Hill - ph. (02) 9716 0014)

The NSW EPA estimate for the number of preschoolers with blood lead levels above 10 micrograms per decilitre is between 36,600 and 221,620 in NSW ALONE.

Apart from the inestimable personal cost of lost intellectual potential, the cost to the Australian economy is

CONSERVATIVELY equal to:

36,600 children x $8,304 to 221,620 x $12,456 for blood lead level of 10µg/dL equals $303,926,400 to $2,760,498,720

This sum of between almost $304 million to $2.8 billion does not take into account the unknown number of older children and adults with elevated blood lead levels.

Newsletters   Previous Item    Next Item

About Us    Contact Us   Council LEAD Project  egroups Library / Fact Sheets  Home Page  Media Releases Newsletters
 Referral_lists Reports Site Map  Slide Shows / Films  Subscription  Useful Links  Q & A Search this Site

Last Updated 07 August 2007
Copyright © The LEAD Group Inc. 1991 - 2007
PO Box 161 Summer Hill NSW 2130 Australia
Phone: +61 2 9716 0014 Fax: +61 2 9716 9005