Project Activities & Aims

Our Vision

We want to see an effective national childhood lead screening programme in the UK. To make this happen, we need to develop and test new, family-friendly screening methods that are reliable, scalable, and acceptable to children and families.

Lead exposure is entirely preventable. By monitoring blood lead levels more effectively, we can develop policies and interventions that reduce children’s contact with lead at home and in communities. This will help children develop to their full potential without the harmful effects of lead exposure.

Study Overview

The ECLIPS project (Elevated Childhood Lead Interagency Prevalence Study) is developing and testing a protocol for a national study to monitor lead levels in children’s blood. We’re conducting a feasibility study in Leeds to:

  1. Test a simple, at-home blood sampling method
  2. Explore response rates among different communities
  3. Understand barriers to participation
  4. Collect environmental samples to identify potential lead sources

The study will run for 24 months from January 2025, with the ultimate goal of paving the way for a national screening study.

Our Approach

We’re taking a collaborative, multi-disciplinary approach that brings together:

  • Environmental scientists who understand how lead moves through our environment
  • Health experts who can interpret blood lead levels and their implications
  • Economists who can help design sampling approaches that ensure representation
  • Community partners who bring vital local knowledge and perspective

What We’ll Be Doing

1. Test a New Blood Sampling Method

We’re evaluating a new device for collecting blood samples via finger-prick at home. This approach is:

  • Less invasive than traditional venous blood draws
  • Can be done at home without a healthcare professional
  • Only requires a few drops of blood
  • Samples can be posted to the laboratory for analysis

2. Collect Environmental Samples

We’ll ask participating families to collect:

  • House dust samples
  • Garden or backyard soil samples

These will be tested for lead content to help identify potential exposure sources.

3. Gather Household Information

Participants will complete questionnaires about:

  • Their child and family
  • Housing and environmental factors
  • Lifestyle factors that might affect lead exposure
  • Barriers to participation in the study

4. Test Different Recruitment Methods

We’ll explore what encourages people to take part, including:

  • Testing different community outreach approaches
  • Randomly selecting some families to receive a ‘goodie bag’ for their child
  • Working with community partners to understand local concerns
  • Learning what puts people off taking part

5. Community Co-Development

We’re designing our methods and materials with help from:

  • A dedicated community advisory group
  • Children’s nurses and doctors
  • Families from diverse communities

Our Expected Outputs

By the end of the project, we aim to produce:

  1. A tested protocol for monitoring lead in children’s blood that could be rolled out nationally
  2. Improved understanding of factors affecting participation in lead screening
  3. New knowledge about potential sources of lead exposure in UK homes
  4. Guidelines for engaging diverse communities in public health studies
  5. A framework that could be applied to monitoring other environmental pollutants

How This Will Make a Difference

This study will revolutionise the monitoring of lead in children’s blood in several ways:

  • Improve Detection: By making testing easier and more accessible, we can identify more children with elevated lead levels who might otherwise be missed.
  • Ensure Equity: By understanding barriers to participation, we can design inclusive approaches that reach all communities, especially those at highest risk.
  • Inform Policy: Better data on lead exposure will help guide targeted public health interventions and environmental policies.
  • Broader Applications: The methods we develop could be used for other pollutants and diseases that require blood sampling, reducing the need for stressful hospital visits.
  • International Impact: Our approach could inform lead surveys and prevention programmes in other countries too.

By developing effective screening methods, we’re taking a crucial step toward reducing childhood lead exposure and its lifelong impacts.