Eliminating lead paint hazards in older, low-income housing is the most important remaining challenge in eradicating childhood lead poisoning. This presentation gives an overview of the Federal Lead Poisoning Prevention Strategy and shows why it is feasible to virtually eliminate childhood lead poisoning from residential exposure to leaded paint by the year 2010. CA A comprehensive approach to multihazard environmental interventions will be discussed with an emphasis on efficacy, sustainability, and cost-effectiveness. The model presented will be replicable across a broad range of organizations and properties. Environmental staff are skilled at identifying sources of lead poisoning during public health investigations with families from a wide range of cultural-linguistic and socioeconomic backgrounds.
Evidence shows that health hazards tend to cluster.
The common demographics that have been identified in nationwide studies show income, ethnicity, and age of housing as prime indicators of risk. The data supporting this will be presented. Methodologies for full lead risk assessment, a visual assessment of the building envelope and HVAC, itemization of physical and chemical safety hazards, and dust sampling for allergens and molds will be discussed. In exposure assessment studies, apportionment of personal exposure to diverse sources of contamination depends on knowledge of the individual's location and activities throughout the monitoring period. Typically, such data are obtained from activities diaries.