Public Health Department
Lead Fact Sheet --- Lead Poisoning is Preventable!
What is the problem?
Many homes built before 1950 may have used lead-based paint that poses a health risk to children under 6. Lead poisoning occurs when there is too much lead in the body. Lead can cause damage to the kidneys, nervous system and brain in children and adults. Lead poisoning often occurs with no obvious symptoms and frequently goes unrecognized. Lead poisoning can cause learning disabilities and behavioral problems. Very high levels of lead can cause seizures, coma and even death. Lead-based paint was banned in 1978.
Approximately 83% of the housing stock in Wayne County excluding the City of Detroit was built before 1978. Hamtramck [96 %] and Highland Park [92%] are the cities having the greatest concentration of older homes followed by Dearborn, Lincoln Park, River Rouge and Taylor.
How are children exposed to lead?
The major source of lead exposure among U.S. children is from lead-based paint and lead-contaminated dust found in deteriorating buildings. The dust and paint chips get on children's hands, toys and pacifiers. Because lead paint tastes sweet, children will often chew on painted surfaces like windowsills. Other sources of lead hazards:
- Painted toys and household furniture
- Lead-glazed ceramic wares, pottery and leaded crystal
- Lead smelters
- Hobbies
- Folk remedies [Greta, Azarcon and Pay loo ah]
- Greta & Azarcon used in Hispanic and Asian communities to treat an upset stomach
- Pay loo ah is a red powder used to treat rash and fever
Check-out Wayne County’s LeadSafe Housing Registry!
Who is at risk?
All children are potentially at risk! However, children under the age of 6 years are at increased risk for lead contamination because they tend to put their hands or other objects into their mouths. Also, children living at or below the poverty line who live in older housing are at greatest risk.
Protecting Your Children from Lead Poisoning
There are ways you can temporarily control exposure to lead-based paint, dust and soil:
- Keep your home clean by washing floors, window frames and windowsills
- Keep your home free from household dust as much as possible
- Wipe up any paint chips with wet sponge or rag
- Ensure that your family members eat well-balanced meals
A simple blood test by a doctor can determine your children's lead levels! Pregnant women should be tested for lead as well!
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention & U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
For more information please call (734) 727-7000
The National Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that 434,000 U.S. children between the ages of 1 and 5 had elevated blood lead levels in 2002, the most recent year national figures are available.
Lead testing and screening services are available at all Wayne County Health Centers. Their locations are:
Dearborn Health Center
6450 Maple
Dearborn, MI 48126
(313) 216-2201
|
Taylor Health Center
26650 Eureka Road
Taylor, MI 48180
(734) 955-3900
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Wayne Health Center
33030 Van Born
Wayne, MI 48184
(734) 727-7100
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Lead Poisoning Prevention Programs
The Lead Poison Prevention Programs [Case Management and Primary Prevention] deal with lead poisoned children and the existing problem of high lead levels in paint/dust/soil in areas that may cause a potential threat to children. If the lead paint is suspected as a factor in an illness, an investigation is conducted to determine the actual source. Painted surfaces/dusts/soils can be tested to determine the lead content, and remedial actions may be pursued to prevent future illness.
One of the first steps in determining if your child is lead poisoned is to have your child tested for blood lead levels at a doctor's office. This involves only a simple blood test and is important because lead poisoning can cause numerous different developmental problems in young children. Children under the age of [6] years are considered the most at-risk.
For more information about any of Wayne County's Lead Poison Prevention Programs, please contact the Environmental Health Division at: (734) 727-7400.
Lead Education
If a child 6 months through 6 years is reported to have a blood lead level of 10-19, then the Wayne County will:
- Send a public health nurse to conduct a home visit to provide
lead poisoning prevention information and physiological risk.
- Conducts home assessment to identify lead dangers and provide
lead hazard control options.
- Work with property owners to ensure that lead correction and
abatement efforts are completed in a timely manner.
Case Management
If a child 6 months through 6 years is reported to have a blood lead level
equal to or greater than 20, then the Wayne County will:
- Provide a public health nurse to conduct a complete health
and developmental assessment. The public health nurse monitors
medical follow up to ensure that a child is tested.
- Provide an environmentalist to make a home visit to identify
all sources of lead using proper equipment and systematic sampling
procedures.
- Provide an environmentalist to provide information on temporary
and permanent lead control options. Environmentalist works with
homeowners and rental property owners to assure that correction
and abatement activities are completed in a timely manner.