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East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania’s Steve Shive, Ph.D., professor of health studies, received an $8,964.36 grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Health to provide education and awareness of lead poisoning for populations vulnerable to this issue.

The funding will help create a teaching module for students in related majors and will be used to educate groups in the community about lead poisoning and reducing the risk. The efforts of this project will benefit Monroe, Northampton and Lehigh counties.

Participants for this project will be invited through local community organization announcements, renters and landlords. An educational curriculum for renters, landlords, and elementary school students will be developed and implemented to positively affect their knowledge, behaviors, and attitudes toward lead exposure and existing legislation. Educational materials will be created and distributed to the public. All materials will also be translated into Spanish.

Also working on this project is Kimberly Razzano, associate professor and chair of health studies, and ESU alumni Shari Hamilton ’14, Rachael Deery ’14, and Paula Shive-Sanchez ’14.

Lead poisoning can happen at any age, but it is most common among children. It is caused by exposure to small amounts of lead over a period of months or years. The exposure can be from paint, air, water, soil, food, or manufactured goods. High lead exposure over a short period of time can cause acute toxicity, and small lead exposure over a long period of time can cause chronic toxicity. Lead can cause harm to the body in many ways including damaging red blood cells, interfering with production of blood cells, and absorbing the calcium that is needed for the growth and health of bones. Of the children tested in Lehigh, Monroe, and Northampton counties, 16.3% had contained lead in their system in Lehigh, 16.0% in Monroe, and 12.2% in Northampton.

For more information about the grant and the ESU lead awareness project, contact Dr. Shive at 570-422-3330 or by email at sshive@esu.edu.