End Lead Poisoning

02/09/2026

How do you know if there’s lead in the products you use everyday? King County’s Hazardous Waste Program has taken this question to task by creating a searchable dashboard that will help people identify potential sources.

This new tool brings together lead testing results from nearly 700 products, including cookware, dishware, cosmetics, toys, jewelry, and food.

Access to clear, practical information is an important part of protecting children from lead poisoning. By making this information easier to access, King County is helping families make more informed choices, to reduce preventable exposure.

Learn more and explore the dashboard here: https://kingcounty.gov/es-es/dept/dnrp/waste-services/hazardous-waste-program/news-events/news/2026-06-04-lead-dashboard-tool

The Hazardous Waste Management Program in King County has creared a

31/08/2026

It’s one thing to pass by an advertisement for a lawsuit, in the streets or on the train. It’s another to begin to understand the human story behind it.

In Episode 4, Shannon reflects on how her perspective changed after her family experienced lead poisoning firsthand. She gained the context of the children and families behind those cases, and the lasting impact that brought them to that point.

The legal language can make these cases feel abstract. But behind every case is a person whose life has been affected, a family looking for answers, and often a hope that what happened to them can help prevent it from happening to someone else.

Listen to the full episode of How This Story Ends Is Up to Us, available anywhere you stream or at the link in our profile.

29/08/2026

If you live in an older home, lead exposure may be closer than you think.

Lead paint has been around for decades and can often hidden for years. But as homes age, it can deteriorate or be disturbed during repairs or renovations, and even everyday wear, creating lead dust that can put children at risk.

That’s why knowing the age and condition of your home matters, especially if you have young children. A lead inspection or risk assessment can help identify hazards before exposure happens.

Lead poisoning is preventable. Know the risk. Protect kids. End lead poisoning.

27/08/2026

What if one family’s fight for accountability could help protect others from experiencing the same harm?

In Episode 4, Shannon recalls being told, off the record, that filing a civil lawsuit could do more than help her family seek accountability. It could create a financial deterrent for the companies responsible, while sending a message that putting children and families at risk cannot simply be written off as the cost of doing business.

That idea sits at the heart of so many environmental health cases, including the recent Monsanto ruling: when families feel the consequences of harm, accountability can also become a tool for prevention.

Listen to the full episode of How This Story Ends Is Up to Us, available anywhere you stream or at the link in our profile.

21/08/2026

For generations, lead has been woven into the story of American communities: through homes, schools, products, and industries.

Through this powerful new series, the conversation around companies with a history of lead-based products becomes a reminder that addressing lead poisoning requires more than individual action. It requires accountability, transparency, and a commitment to repair the harm that communities have experienced.

Ending childhood lead poisoning means confronting the past while building a safer future for every child.

Read more about the ongoing conversation around lead, industry, and accountability.

Sherwin-Williams, a source of Cleveland pride, faces scrutiny for its historic role in lead paint poisoning and the ongoing community impact.

20/08/2026

Ten years ago, Shannon volunteered in Flint, MI, as the city faced a drinking water crisis that would expose thousands of residents to lead.

A decade later, Flint’s water system has made significant progress. Meanwhile in upstate New York, Syracuse is confronting its own lead infrastructure challenges.

Different cities, different circumstances, but the same reminder: safe drinking water requires investment, accountability, and people willing to demand better. From Flint to Syracuse, public pressure makes a critical difference.

17/08/2026

Food safety is a public health issue.

New estimates from the World Health Organization show the staggering toll of unsafe food worldwide, with young children facing the greatest risk. While many food-borne illnesses are caused by biological hazards, chemical contaminants like lead can also make families sick and cause lasting harm.

Protecting children means preventing exposure before it starts, from aging paint to our food supply.

Children aged less than five years face almost three times the risk of illness from unsafe food than older children and adults, according to new estimates released today by the World Health Organization (WHO).

14/08/2026

When Shannon’s family discovered her son had been exposed to lead, the question quickly became: how do we hold those responsible for hurting our child accountable?

In Episode 4, Shannon navigates the laws surrounding lead poisoning and what they meant for her family, as they tried to understand how to seek justice from the people and systems who caused harm to their son, Cooper.

It’s a firsthand look at the systems families are left to navigate when a child’s health is put at risk by conditions that should never have existed in the first place. Their story is a reminder that preventing lead poisoning also means making sure families know their rights and have meaningful pathways to justice.

Listen to the full episode of How This Story Ends Is Up to Us, available anywhere you stream, or at the link in our profile.

14/08/2026

Lead exposure can come from more places than we realize.

New research highlights another important source of potential exposure: firearm-related lead in homes. The study found that safer firearm and ammunition storage practices may help reduce children’s exposure to lead particles that can enter household environments.

Protecting children means understanding every pathway of exposure and taking proactive action to keep them safe.

A new study led by epidemiologists at Brown University found that among firearm owners, less safe storage was associated with higher blood lead levels in children.

10/08/2026

Every child deserves access to safe water at school.

Across Washington state, new testing requirements are helping identify where lead contamination may be present in school drinking water fixtures, from fountains to sinks. When problems are found, schools are taking action by repairing, replacing, or removing affected sources.

Testing is an important first step, but ending childhood lead exposure requires lasting investment in the places where children learn, grow, and spend their days.

Time's up for many schools in Washington to test drinking water for lead. Turns out, some lead contamination at older schools is more common than you think – but fixes are in the works.