Public health study shows link between exposure to lead and firearm violence

Newswise — A new study shows a link between exposure to lead and firearm violence, potentially providing a way to reduce firearm violence by reducing exposure to lead.

The findings are supported by prior research that suggested childhood lead exposure impairs future decision-making and may influence criminal behavior.

Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee used public health, education and criminal justice datasets covering more than 89,000 people born in Milwaukee between June 1, 1986 and December 31, 2003 with a valid blood lead test before they were 6 years old. They found that as individuals' childhood blood lead levels increased, their risk for becoming a perpetrator or victim of firearm violence increased, even after controlling for temporal trends, child sex, race, and neighborhood socioeconomic status. They also found that 56% of firearm violence perpetration and 51% of victimization was attributable to blood lead levels ≥ 5 µg/dL (the current reference level for elevated lead). In Milwaukee, during a period of high lead exposures, childhood blood lead levels may have substantially contributed to adult firearm violence. The study will be published in Environmental Research and can be found online. A pre-proof of the article can be downloaded here.