SEBRING UPDATE | One person has elevated lead levels after BOH test

SEBRING — Only one of 33 people tested in a Monday blood lead-level screening clinic here had an elevated lead level, according to the Mahoning County Board of Health.

The elevated level means the child had 5 micrograms or more of lead per deciliter of blood, said Christopher Cunningham, BOH nursing director.

Cunningham said he wasn’t permitted to provide the child’s age or exact blood-lead level.

In the Jan. 24, BOH blood lead-level testing clinic here, five of 176 people screened had elevated lead levels.

The BOH refers people with elevated levels from its finger stick tests to their family physicians for follow-up testing.

Elevated blood lead levels could be due to lead paint, lead in the water, ceramic glazes or toys that absorb lead, Cunningham said.

Craig W. Butler, director of the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, declared a water-supply emergency last week for the village water system due to elevated lead levels in water samples.