The Kane County Health Department is partnering with 15 home-improvement stores this week to help people reduce their exposure to deadly lead poisoning.

During National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week (Oct. 20-26, 2019) the Kane County and the Illinois Department of Public Health are educating parents on the danger and the importance of testing children.

“There is no safe level of lead in the body. Children exposed to lead tend to suffer from life-long complications that affect their ability to think, learn, or behave,” said IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike.

Lead poisoning is one of the most prevalent and preventable environmental health hazards and is known to contribute to learning disabilities, developmental delays, and behavioral problems. The level of Illinois childhood lead poisoning remains one of the highest in the nation.

In 2018, more than 12,000 children tested had blood lead levels greater than 5 μg/dL, the intervention level recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and required by the Illinois Lead Poisoning Prevention Act (LPPA).
Illinois law requires that all children six years of age or younger be assessed for lead risk.

Physicians must perform a blood lead test for children who live in high-risk areas or meet other risk criteria determined through a childhood risk questionnaire administered by a health care provider.

The most common source of exposure is from deteriorated lead-based paint, which was used in many homes built before 1978. Children can be exposed by swallowing or breathing in lead dust created by old paint that has peeled, cracked, or chipped, eating paint chips, or chewing on surfaces coated with lead-based paint, such as window sills.

If you live in a house built before 1978, a certified inspector or risk assessor can be hired to check your home for lead-based paint or lead-based paint hazards. Lead can also be found in drinking water. The most common sources of lead in drinking water are lead pipes, faucets, and fixtures.

Take These Simple Precautions

Lead exposure can be significantly reduced by taking simple precautions around the house. These include the following:

• Cleaning up paint chips and peeling paint.
• Washing floors, counter tops, and window sills weekly with soap and water.
• Using proper safety measures when renovating or remodeling your house, like spraying down painted surfaces with water before scraping or sanding, and using plastic sheeting to capture any debris generated.
• Assuring that children and pregnant women do not enter a work area until renovations are complete and the area has been thoroughly cleaned.
• Washing a child’s hands, mouth and face, and toys often.
• Having your water tested for lead. If lead is detected, allow the cold water to run for several minutes in the morning before using it for drinking, cooking, or mixing infant formula in case lead pipes or solder is present. Only use cold water for cooking.
• Removing shoes when coming indoors so lead from dust or soil is not tracked inside.
• Eating a well-balanced, low-fat diet that is high in calcium and iron, which can help reduce lead absorption.

Find Help at 15 Home Improvement Stores

The Kane County Healthy Places Coalition partners with 15 home improvement stores throughout Kane County to promote lead awareness during October 2019. Each store received an awareness poster, along with flyers and promotion materials for customers and staff to raise awareness about healthy homes and these numerous household hazards. Please visit the partners for more information:

• Ace Hardware, 617 S. State St., Geneva
• Ace Hardware, 1901 W. Wilson St., Batavia
• Ace Hardware, 2144 W. Galena Blvd., Aurora
• Ace Hardware, 160 E., Galena Blvd., Sugar Grove
• Ace Hardware, 994 N. Lake St., Aurora
• Blain’s Farm and Fleet. 629 S. Randall Rd., Elgin
• Home Depot, 1250 N. Orchard Rd., Aurora
• Lowe’s, 955 S. Randall Rd. St. Charles
• Sherwin Williams, 1310 Dundee Ave., Elgin
• Sherwin Williams, 466 Randall Rd., South Elgin
• Sherwin Williams, 1891 Orchard Gateway Blvd., North Aurora
• Ziegler Ace Hardware, 150 S. Kennedy Dr. Ste. 15, Carpentersville
• Ziegler Ace Hardware, 215 N. Spring St., Elgin
• Ziegler Ace Hardware, 1158 Lillian St., Elgin
• Ziegler Ace Hardware, 301 Randall Rd., South Elgin

For more information about lead poisoning prevention, visit the IDPH website, Kane County Health Place Coalition website or the Kane County Health Department website.

SOURCE: Kane County Health Department news release

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