Firearm licenses associated with elevated pediatric blood lead levels in Massachusetts

To determine the association between firearm-related lead exposure and pediatric blood lead levels.

Using data available through the Massachusetts Departments of Public Health and Criminal Justice Information Services, we examined the association between active class A firearm licenses in a community with the prevalence of elevated blood lead levels in children aged 0-4. Correlational and hierarchical multiple regression analyses were conducted with potential confounders and other exposures such as lead paint, lead in water, presence of firing ranges, and social, economic, and occupational variables.

Data from 351 Massachusetts sub-counties were examined. Sub-counties with higher rates of firearm licensure also report higher rates of lead exposure among children. Children in the highest quartile communities were 2.16 times more likely to have elevated BLLs when compared to their peers in the lower quartiles. A one standard deviation change in firearm licensure percentage was found to reflect a 0.96% increase in elevated pediatric blood lead levels. Regression analyses demonstrated that the inclusion of firearm licensure significantly improved the prediction of pediatric BLL. Models were adjusted for percent of a population employed in construction, agriculture, forestry, fishing, hunting, and mining, income distribution, and potential lead paint exposure, which were found to be the primary predictors of elevated pediatric blood lead levels.

Firearm use and ownership remains one of the least researched areas in the public health sphere. While the risks of childhood lead exposure are widely understood, including the mechanisms of firearm-related lead exposure and tracking, to date no research has extensively examined it in children and on the community level. Our findings indicate a dire need for continued research on the risks associated with firearm use, ownership, and lead exposure.