The Kenton Hardin Health Department is joining the Ohio Department of Health to promote lead poisoning prevention efforts. In celebration of Healthy Homes Awareness Month, the Kenton Hardin Health Department is offering free lead tests for children under 6 by appointment on April 18. For more information, contact Kenton Hardin Health Department at 419-673-6230 and speak with a nurse.

According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, Americans spend about 90 percent of their time indoors. Indoor hazards include mold, lead, radon, carbon monoxide, tobacco smoke, and pests. As Americans spend so much of their time indoors, these hazards can have negative effects on health including lead poisoning. 

About 3.6 million American households have children under 6 years of age who live in homes with lead exposure hazards. According to the CDC about 500,000 American children between ages of 1 and 5 years have blood lead levels greater than or equal to the level of blood reference value, the level which CDC recommends public health actions. 

The most common source of exposure is from lead-based paint, which was used in many homes built before 1978. Adults and children can get lead into their bodies by breathing in the lead dust (especially during activities such as renovations, repairs, or painting) or by swallowing lead dust that settles in food, food preparation surfaces, floors, windowsills, and other places, or eating paint chips or soil that contain lead. 

Children can also become exposed to lead dust from adults’ jobs or hobbies, and from some metal toys or toys painted with lead-based paint. Children are not exposed equally to lead, nor suffer its consequences in the same way. These disparities unduly burden minority families and low-income families and their communities.

The problem is largely preventable with increased testing and education. Stakeholders can use the digital toolkit (http://hud.gov/program_offices/health_homes/nlppw), to assist with building awareness and implementation at the local level.