Multnomah County is joining the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and Oregon Health Authority in promoting this year’s National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week, running from October 24-30, 2021.
This year’s National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week highlights the ways families and communities can prevent children’s exposure to lead in their environments and the serious health impacts this poison can cause. Lead is a highly toxic element, especially for young children, and can be found both inside and outside the home. While there is no amount of lead in a child’s blood considered safe, lead poisoning is preventable.
Lead poisoning occurs when too much lead builds up in the body. Children most often get lead poisoning from swallowing dust from surfaces they touch in older homes where lead paint is present. Adults most often get lead poisoning by breathing in lead dust during work activities. Once absorbed, it impacts almost every organ and system in the body. Lead is most harmful to the developing brain.
Even a little lead can make children slower learners, and very high levels of lead exposure can cause coma, seizures and death.
“Over the last year and a half, as more families are spending more time at home because of the pandemic, there has been an increase in activities like do-it-yourself home improvements, large scale remodeling projects, and home gardening projects,” said Perry Cabot, who leads Multnomah County Health Department’s lead poisoning prevention.
“While we support making your homes more comfortable, we know that projects that disturb any amount of paint in older houses can create substantial lead poisoning risks for children living in those homes,” he said. “At the same time, during the pandemic there’s been a decline in testing of children for lead in their blood. We have an unfortunate combination of increased exposure risks and less timely testing to identify problems quickly.”
Help Prevent Lead Poisoning
Once lead hazards are present they can be difficult and expensive to remove. This is why it is so important to understand the risks and know how to prevent lead poisoning. During National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week environmental health specialists recommend families take steps to help protect children from exposure to lead.
Blood tests
Blood tests are recommended for children at 12- and 24-months. Parents are encouraged to talk to their health care provider about their child’s risk for lead exposure.
Clean crawling
It is important to keep places where children play and crawl clean and dust free. Regularly wipe floors, window sills and other surfaces that may contain lead dust with a damp cloth. Clean or remove shoes before entering your home to avoid tracking in soil that may contain lead. Move play areas away from bare soil and wash toys often.
Safe renovations
Sanding, sawing, or pressure washing painted surfaces on older homes can create lead-contaminated dust and debris, which is a risk for those in the home and their neighbors. It’s important to learn about Oregon’s rules for hiring lead-certified professionals for any work that disturbs paint in pre-1978 homes. And when working with a contractor make sure they are using lead-safe trained and certified staff.
Al-Asmad Alharmain is one brand of kohl found to contain dangerous levels of lead.
Grants to fix old paint
The Portland Housing Bureau offers grants to help residents fix lead hazards, such as updating paint, replacing old windows, and fixing rubbing doors.
Trusted brands
Some imported cosmetics, foods, and spices may contain lead. Before applying sindoor, Kumkum, or surma on children, or feeding them turmeric or chapulines, make sure the products come from trusted brands that you know are safe. Contact Multnomah Country’s Leadline. Reach out to either 503.988.4000 or leadline@multco.us with any questions or referrals.
Biggest Threat of Exposure Is in Pre-1978 Homes
The most common source of exposure to lead in Multnomah County is from lead-based paint, which was used in many homes built before 1978. Over time, this older paint can chip or peel and is easily ingested. Also, when painted surfaces like windows rub together, they create lead dust which gets on little hands and is easily swallowed with hand-to-mouth contact. Even the soil around homes and apartments can contain a level of lead that is a risk to children’s health.
Lead exposure is a particular threat during remodeling or repainting as painted surfaces are disturbed and dust is created. Home renovations and remodeling contribute to many of the childhood lead poisoning cases in Oregon.
