Lead Poisoning Prevention Program

The Rockland County Department of Health Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program (CLPPP) is a grant-funded program that prevents and treats lead poisoning in children up to age 18.  We aim to ensure that all children who are poisoned by lead will receive the services necessary to attain and maintain health, enabling them to reach their maximum potential 
 
If you have questions, contact the Lead Poisoning Prevention Program at (845) 364-2585 or (845) 364-2558.

The Rockland County Department of Health will conduct environmental lead investigations for children whose blood lead levels are equal to or greater than 5 µg/dL in an effort to identify the source of lead exposure. A Lead Risk Assessor investigates a child's home and/or other places where the child spends time. Environmental investigations may consist of visual assessment of risk areas, surface paint evaluation, water sampling, and/or other case-specific actions.

Based on the results of the environmental lead investigation, the Lead Risk Assessor will provide the owner or landlord with recommendations on how to address lead hazards in the home.

Lead can harm a child's growth, behavior, and ability to learn. Most lead poisoning occurs when children lick, swallow, or breathe in dust from old lead paint.

Most homes built before 1978 have old lead paint, often under newer paint. If paint peels, cracks, or is worn down, the chips and dust from the old lead paint can spread onto floors, windowsills, and all around your home. Lead paint dust can then get onto children's hands and toys, and into their mouths.

Most children have had some contact with lead in old paint, soil, plumbing, or another source. Learn more about lead and where it may hiding in (English), (Spanish), and (Haitian Creole). 

Hand Washing

• Deteriorating lead-based paint often produces dust that settles on windowsills, floors, toys or other surface areas that children touch. Since children tend to put their hands and toys in their mouth and often eat with their hands ("finger foods"), swallowing or inhaling lead dust is the most common exposure route.
• Wash your child's hands and face after play, before meals, and before bed.
• Wash toys, stuffed animals, pacifiers and bottles with soap and water often.
• Mop floors often, and use damp paper towels to clean window wells and sills.

Keep Children Safe

• Keep children away from peeling or chipped paint.
• Before making repairs in a home built before 1978, to learn how to work safely and keep dust levels down. EPA has brochures and guides on working lead safe.
• Children and pregnant women should stay away from repairs that disturb old paint, such as sanding and scraping. They should stay away until the area is cleaned using wet cleaning methods and a HEPA vacuum (not dry sweeping).
• Let tap water run for 1 minute before you use it. This will help clear out the lead from old plumbing. Use only cold tap water for drinking, cooking, and preparing infant formula.
• Use lead-free dishes and pots. Lead is more likely to be in pottery from Latin America, the Middle East, and India, and in painted china.
• Lead is also in leaded glass, crystal, and pewter.
• Avoid using herbs and spices that are contaminated with lead. Visit the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) to learn more about Lead in Food and Foodwares.

Nutrition

Children with empty stomachs absorb more lead than children with full stomachs, so providing your child with four to six small, nutritional meals during the day can also help protect against lead poisoning. There are several nutrients that can help reduce the absorption of lead such as iron,  vitamin C, and calcium. For more information on good nutrition tips to helps reduce the effects of lead, available in (English), (Spanish), (Yiddish).

The blood lead test tells you how much lead is in your child's blood. The lower the test result, the better.

A test result greater or equal to 5 µg/dL using blood from a fingertip should be checked again with a second test using blood taken from a vein (often in the arm). If the second result is still high, you should follow the steps below.

Less than 5µg/dL:

• There is very little lead in your child's blood.
• The average lead test result for young children is about 1.4 µg/dL.
• Your child should be tested at age 1 and again at age 2.
• Your doctor will provide you with guidance regarding major sources of lead exposure and ways to prevent exposure.

5-15 µg/dL:

• Your child's lead level is high and requires action.
• Your doctor and local health department will talk with you to help you find sources of lead, and ways you can protect your child.
• Your doctor will want to test your child every 1-3 months.
• If the test result is >5 µg/dL the local health department will conduct an assessment of the home to identify sources of lead.

15-25 µg/dL:

• A result of 15 µg/dL or higher is very high.
• Your child should be tested every month until BBL is 15 µg/dL or lower.
• Your doctor will provide ongoing developmental surveillance with prompt referrals for developmental services as needed.
• Talk with your doctor or nurse about your child's diet, growth and development, and possible sources of lead.
• Your local health department will visit your home to help you find sources of lead.

25-45 µg/dL:

• Your child's lead level is very high. You and your doctor should act quickly.
• Your child should be tested every month until BBL is 15 µg/dL or lower.
• Talk with your doctor or nurse about your child's diet, growth and development, and possible sources of lead.
• Talk with your local health department about how to protect your child. They will visit your home to help you find sources of lead.
• Your doctor will provide ongoing developmental surveillance with prompt referrals for developmental services as needed.

45 µg/dL or higher:

• Your child's lead level is extremely high and needs medical treatment right away.
• Your child might have to stay in a hospital, especially if your home has lead. Your local health department will visit your home to help you find sources of lead. Your child should not go back home until the lead sources are removed or fixed.
• Your child needs to be tested and monitored regularly.

Prenatal lead exposure has been known to cause lead poisoning in pregnant women and their babies.

Risk Assessment Questions for Lead Exposure in Pregnant and Lactating (Breastfeeding) Women:

• Do you live in a home or apartment built before 1978?
• Have there been any recent home improvements or repairs where you live?
• Were you born, or have you ever lived in another country?
• Do you use medicines, supplements, cosmetics, or spices from another country?
• Do you or someone with whom you live have a job (such as construction) or hobby (such as stained glass or making bullets) than can bring you into contact with lead?
• Do you use pottery, painted china, or leaded glass that was made in another country?
• Have you ever eaten or chewed crushed pottery, soil/dirt, paint chips, clay, or other things that aren't food?

If the answer to any of the above questions is yes, then the woman is considered to be at risk of lead exposure and should be screened with a blood lead test. 

For more information and resources, visit the New York State Department of Health recommendations on Follow-up Blood Lead Level (BLL) Testing in Pregnant and Lactating People.

New York State requires doctors to test all children with a blood lead test at age 1 and again at age 2. For children up to age six, your doctor or nurse should ask you at every well child visit about ways your child may have had contact with lead. Children who have had contact with lead should be tested.

At each routine well-child visit, health care providers will assess children 6 months to 72 months of age for risk of lead exposure and screen or refer for screening those children found to be at risk.

During well-child visits at age 1 & 2, health care providers will screen children or refer them for screening for elevated blood lead levels.

Children age 36 to 72 months of age with a history of blood lead levels of 5 µg/dL or greater should receive follow-up blood lead testing annually.

(Statutory Authority: Public Health Law, Section 206 and Title X of Article 13; Subpart 67-1)

Prior to or within 3 months of initial enrollment, each childcare provider licensed, certified, or approved by any state or local agency shall obtain a copy of a certificate of lead screening for any child at least 1 year of age but under 6 years of age, and retain such document until one year after the child is no longer enrolled.

When no documentation of lead screening exists, the child shall not be excluded from attending preschool or childcare; however, the childcare provider, principal, teacher, owner, or person in charge shall provide the parent or guardian of the child with information on lead poisoning and lead poisoning prevention and refer the parent or guardian to the child's primary health care provider or local health unit to obtain a blood lead test.

(Statutory Authority: Public Health Law, Section 206 and Title X of Article 13; Subpart 67-1.4)

For general information about the sources of lead in drinking water and how you can reduce levels visit New York State Department of Health.

Private Well Testing

• New York State ELAP (Environmental Laboratory Approval Program) labs are certified to do private well lead testing. Find an ELAP certified lab near you.

Schools and Childcare Facilities

In September of 2016, New York State passed emergency legislation that requires public schools to test drinking water for lead and prevent exposure from faucets with high levels. Many schools in Rockland have already performed a significant amount of testing and have information available on their websites. Schools will be adding additional results to their websites as they become available.

• For information on the new law and guidance on testing for lead in drinking water visit New York State Department of Health.

• For information about lead in drinking water at schools and child care facilities visit Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

In Rockland County, over 80% of the homes were built prior to the ban on lead-based paint in 1978. Therefore, many homes may contain lead-based paint. If home renovations or repairs are not done using lead-safe methods, they can increase the risk of lead exposure in the home.

Repairing and/or maintaining painted surfaces (primarily windows, exteriors, and trim) can help reduce lead exposure:

• Cover chipped paint and holes with contact paper, duct tape, or cardboard.
• Clean up lead chips and lead dust with a wet mop or a wet cloth.
• Clean your floors and inside windowsills with soap. Then rinse areas well and throw dishrags and/or towels away.

The only way to permanently remove lead hazards is to replace painted surfaces in a lead-safe manner. There are many ways to reduce the hazards of lead-based paint and it is very important that you pick the safest method for your project.

Some people prefer to hire a contractor certified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that is trained to safely remove lead-based paint. Other people prefer to do the work themselves. Either way, the homeowner or renter should become familiar with the measures necessary to safely complete renovations and repairs that involve lead-based paint.

Contractors, Painters, Electricians, Plumbers & Carpenters

Starting April 22, 2010, federal law requires all persons involved in paid renovation and repair work to be certified in lead-safe practices.

Contractors should be familiar with and give their clients the pamphlet Renovate Right: Important Lead Hazard Information for Families, Child Care Providers, and Schools 

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) provides contractors with more information about regulations and where contractors can get the training they need to comply with these regulations.

Visit the EPA or New York State Department of Health for important lead hazard mitigation information.

• Lead is a Poison! Get the Facts Flyers (English, Spanish, Creole, Yiddish)
• Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program
• Reducing Environmental Exposures
• National Lead Information Center
• What Home Owners Need to Know About Removing Lead-Based Paint
• The Lead-Safe Certified Guide to Renovate Right
• NYSDOH Printable Lead Resources

• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) OPPT Lead