Dr. Daniel A. Griffith (Department of Geography & Regional Studies, U. of Miami) has been named the first CESP Fellow of the University of Miami Center for Ecosystem Science and Policy (CESP), and will be in residence during the Spring 2005 semester. His research project is entitled "Pediatric lead poisoning: shifting from secondary to primary intervention through the use of geospatial analysis."
The principal aim of this research directly relates to policy and public health: to contribute to the policy debate about primary prevention of lead toxicity in children. Current lead prevention efforts focused on blood lead level (BLL) screening of children are unsatisfactory because they represent secondary prevention. Identifying children with elevated BLLs may be too late to prevent the long-lasting developmental and neurological concomitants of toxicity; primary prevention is necessary. Current approaches to both primary and secondary prevention target indoor paint containing lead, and dust also from this source, as the predominant source of childhood exposure. A principal hypothesis of Griffith's work is that soil containing lead is a major risk factor for childhood lead toxicity in urban areas. Demonstrating this association is of critical importance to formulation of public policy guiding primary prevention public health approaches to this problem. Current efforts at primary prevention targeted at "lead-safe housing" through removal of lead paint after detection at time of real estate transfer will not be effective if lead content of the soil is a major contributor to the problem. Findings from this research should be important for urban areas throughout the nation where soil is a source of residual lead. Demonstrating the association of soil content of lead and toxicity would enable local public health agencies to use maps showing the concentration of lead by area to target outreach and screening efforts.
This project is an extension of Griffith's present three-year funded National Science Foundation project entitled "Geography based exposure assessment for urban metals" (BCS 0221949). The purpose of the Fellows Program is to encourage inter-disciplinary research on environmental issues involving the interaction of science and public policy. Under the current scheme no more than two fellows are selected for a semester. Fellows are given released time from regular academic duties, are provided with support, and deliver a CESP colloquium about their research.