John Chafee: “I rise in strong support of S. 729, the Lead Exposure Reduction Act. The bill is an important response to the use of…”

“I rise in strong support of S. 729, the Lead Exposure Reduction Act. The bill is an important response to the use of lead in instances where an unreasonable risk of lead exposure and subsequent risk to human health exists. We all know the adverse health effects associated with lead exposure. Particularly alarming is the impact of lead exposure on our young people. A 1990 study by the Office of Technology Assessment [OTA] cited several critical reasons why the effects of lead on children are so severe. According to the study, children have less bone tissue in which lead is stored, leaving more lead in the blood that is free to exert toxic effects on various body organs. Furthermore, the primary target for lead toxicity, the central nervous system, is less developed in children, thus exacerbating the adverse effects of lead exposure. Adults are also at risk from lead exposure. In fact, senior adults may be at particular risk, as lead stored in an older person's bones may be mobilized during osteoporosis or in the normal demineralization of the skeleton with aging. As one witness stated before the Environmental Committee's Toxic Substances Subcommittee, "We may indeed have senior citizen populations who are going to receive their life-time exposure of lead coming back to them a second time." Such a release of lead in older individuals may be a cause of reduced mental function. I am pleased to note that these risks have not gone unnoticed.…”