Region 5 Lead Awareness

National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 5 observes National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week to promote awareness of the dangers of lead exposure, and will be highlighting the importance of educating parents and children about the dangers of lead-paint hazards in housing.

This year's theme, "Making Lead Poisoning History," highlights the importance of educating parents and children about the dangers of lead-paint hazards in housing. Childhood lead poisoning remains a major environmental health problem in the U.S. Even children who appear healthy can have dangerous levels of lead in their bodies. Lead is more dangerous to children under the ages of 6. At this age children's brains and nervous systems are more sensitive to the damaging effects of lead. Children's growing bodies absorb more lead. Babies and young children often put their hands and other objects in their mouths. These objects can have lead dust on them. In children lead can cause; nervous system and kidney damage; learning disabilities, attention deficit disorder, and decreased intelligence; speech, language, and behavior problems; poor muscle coordination; decreased muscle and bone growth; and hearing damage. While low-lead exposure is most common, exposure to high levels of lead can have devastating effects on children, including seizures, unconsciousness, and in some cases, death. Lead is also dangerous to women of child bearing age. Women with high lead levels in their system prior to pregnancy would expose a fetus to lead through the placenta during fetal development.

You will need Adobe Reader to view some of the files on this page. See EPA's PDF page to learn more.

Protect Your Family from Lead in your home Pamphlet (English)(17 pp, 674kb, About PDF)

Proteja a su familia contra el plomo en el hogar (En Español) (8 pp, 680kb, About PDF)

Region 5 has a disproportionately high incidence rate of lead poisoning among young children yet has seen significant results in reducing such cases over the last three decades. Federal, state and local regulations governing lead-based paint activities; the phase-out of lead from gasoline, beverage cans, and new house paint; and reductions of lead in industry, drinking water, consumer goods, hazardous sites and other sources have each played a part.
In 1978, there were about 13.5 million children in the United States with elevated blood-lead levels. Currently, approximately 310,000 children age 1-5 years in the United States have been tested to show blood-lead levels greater than the Centers for Disease Control recommended action level of 10 micrograms of lead per deciliter of blood. Approximately 39% of these children resided in Region 5 in 2003. The Federal Government's goal is to eliminate childhood lead poisoning in the United States as a major public health problem by the year 2010.
Region 5 is committed to reducing lead as a major public heath problem through outreach and education of homeowners, property managers and renovation contractors. Region 5 has partnered with several state and local agencies to extend outreach to areas with high elevated blood-lead level and will participate in several events and stake holders meetings during and around National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week to help combat this preventable childhood disease.

The EPA Lead Program has developed many products with information on reducing residential lead hazards:

Education and outreach brochures to provide information to parents and children on the importance of testing children for lead, testing homes and working safely when lead is present in the home environment. Several brochures have been translated into other languages.
Rules and regulations such as the Disclosure Rule, which requires persons selling or leasing housing constructed before 1978 to disclose known lead-based paint and/or lead-based paint hazards during all real-estate transactions.
Renovation, Repair, and Painting Requirement will promote the reduction of exposure to lead hazards created by renovation, repair, and painting activities that disturb lead based paint. http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPA-TOX/2006/January/Day-10/t071.htm

To protect children, parents should ask their health care providers about testing children for high levels of lead in the blood. Homeowners may contact the National Lead Information Center at 1-800-424-LEAD (5323) for information on how to find professionals to test houses for lead. Tenants can also consult with their landlords regarding testing pre-1978 residences when there are signs of deteriorating lead-based paint.
For more information about Lead Poisoning Prevention Week or lead poisoning in general, contact the National Lead Information Center at 1-800-424-LEAD or see EPA's Web site at http://www.epa.gov/lead.
Region 5 states and local communities plan to make official proclamations, offer free lead screening, and conduct various education and awareness events for Lead Poisoning Prevention Week. Click here to learn about Regional Lead Prevention Outreach Activities

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For more information contact:

Region 5 has authorized the following lead-based paint activities certification programs for individuals who perform lead-based inspections, risk assessment, and abatements. More information on the authorized state programs can be obtained from their web sites:

Illinois Department of Public Health Division of Environmental Health
http://www.idph.state.il.us/envhealth/lead.htm

Indiana Department of Environmental Management
http://www.state.in.us/idem/guides/permit/waste/leadlicensing.html

Department of Community Health Lead and Healthy Homes Section
http:www.michigan.gov/leadsafe

Minnesota Department of Health Asbestos and Lead Compliance Unit
http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/eh/lead/index.html

Ohio Department of Health Division of Environmental Health Lead Poisoning Prevention Program
http://www.odh.ohio.gov/odhPrograms/dspc/lp_prev/lp_prev1.aspx

WI Dept. of Health and Family Services Divisions of Public Health Asbestos and Lead Section
http://www.dhfs.wisconsin.gov/lead/

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Region 5 Lead Awareness

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