Lead poisoning can affect nearly every system in the body and is especially
harmful to children in their first five years of life because it disrupts the rapid
brain development they are undergoing. While there is no safe level of lead in
the body, public health actions are recommended to be initiated when a child
has blood lead levels of 5 micrograms per deciliter of blood. Children living at
or below the poverty line and who live in older housing are at greater risk.