The Dirt on Kids' Health

Welcome to the blog! This first post will give you an idea of why we’re starting The Dirt on Kids’ Health. Local readers have likely heard of the ASARCO copper smelter. It operated in Ruston, Washington for almost 100 years before closing in 1986. Seven years later the “stack” was imploded. Built in 1917, the 562 foot tall smoke stack spewed lead and arsenic as byproducts of the copper smelting process. This lead and arsenic was carried by the wind and deposited on the ground throughout Pierce and King Counties and even into the northern portion of Thurston County (check out maps here). The Pierce County Communities most affected are Ruston, North and West Tacoma, Northeast Tacoma, University Place, Fircrest, Lakewood , Steilacoom, and parts of Gig Harbor, Fox Island, Anderson Island, Fort Lewis, and Dupont. Lead and arsenic remain in the dirt in these areas, and exposure poses health risks - especially for young children.

* Lead is linked to developmental disabilities in children and can lower I.Q.
* Arsenic can contribute to cancer later in life and may also contribute to heart disease.

Contaminated dust can be inhaled and is eaten when it gets on food, hands, or anything we put into our mouths. Kids under the age of 6 are at the greatest risk because they still put lots of things in their mouths and may not always remember to wash their hands before eating.

Scary, huh? None of us want our kids or ourselves exposed to toxins. But not quite as scary when you find out there are a lot of really simple things you can do to greatly reduce your family’s contact with arsenic and lead contaminated dirt. The Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department’s Dirt Alert program works with parents and childcare providers to help you protect kids from contaminated dirt by taking some simple steps we call Healthy Actions. We’ll go into these Healthy Actions in the weeks coming up, or you can visit our website right now to learn more.

What else can you expect to find here in The Dirt? Besides information on the Dirt Alert program and ways you can specifically protect your family from arsenic and lead contaminated dirt, we’ll cover lots of other ways you can protect your kids from toxins in our environment – from safer water bottle choices, to greener (and cheaper!) ways to clean your house, from the best art supplies for kiddos, to ideas for family outings to your local farmers’ market. Check in with us once a week or so, and if you have specific questions about the Dirt Alert Program, drop me a line at dirtalert@tpchd.org.