Lead Poisoning and Healthy Homes: Improving Childhood Health in Rural LowIncome Communities

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Lead Poisoning and Healthy HomesImproving
Childhood Health in Rural Low-Income Communities

• Caryl E Waggett, PhD
• Allegheny College

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Lead is a top environmental health concern in
Commonwealth
Childhood asthma
Childhood obesity and overweight
Lead poisoning
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Industrial manufacturers knew of health hazards
of lead
Thanks to a long history of lead exposure
Leaded paint
Leaded gasoline
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Primary Health Effects of Lead Poisoning
Behavioral problems
Musculo-skeletal problems
Neuro-cognitive deficits
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Lead in Gasoline and US Human Exposures,
1975-1990 (USEPA)
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Primary sources
Secondary sources
Lead in pipes Coal fired power-plant
emissions Tool-and-die industry, parental
occupational risk Soldering, personal
projects Leaded weight and shot for fishing and
hunting
Lead paint in dust and soils
Residues from leaded gasoline emissions
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Children at Elevated Risk
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Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Programs
(CLPPP)only urban!!
CLPPP
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Different Sides of Rural Pennsylvania
Crawford County, pop. 90,366 20 of children 0-5
yrs old are at or below federal poverty
level gt20 of pregnant moms receive no pre-natal
care gt80 of homes built before 1950 25 of homes
are tenant-occupied
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Environmental Samples Corroborate High Risk
21.4 homes tested had at least one soil sample
exceed EPA soil standards for lead of 400
ppm 47.6 homes tested had at least one dust
sample exceed EPA dust samples of 40 ug/sq ft
(floor) or 250 ug/sq ft (windowsill)
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Screen Children to Determine Incidence

• Increased screening of children for lead from lt1
  to 13.8
• 7.6 of children in Crawford County have eBLL
• Incidence exceeds PA state average eBLL (4.9),
  which is itself the highest in the country

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Barriers to lead screening for children
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Expansion to address issues of whole home from
residents perspective Healthy HomesHealthy
Children

• Lead
• Indoor air quality
• Mold, Mildew VOCs
• Dust Carbon Monoxide
• Allergens Radon
• Nutrition / Physical Activity
• Injury Prevention
• Toxics Reduction

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Risk-reduction and prevention through
individualized in-home visits and assessments
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Community Outreach and Education

• TRAIN-THE-TRAINER
• Train Community Lead Liaison
• Train community leaders with high interaction
  with parents, kids
• Social service agencies, schools, congregations,
  civic groups
• Outreach in community
• Disseminate success and challenges to other rural
  communities

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Training
Social service providers
Teachers
Civic groups
Congregations
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Educational Outreach
Public events
Classroom visits
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GOAL Healthy children

• Enrolled gt250 children in study to determine
  incidence of eBLLs
• Conducted 65 in-home assessments
• Delivered 24 training programs, reaching 270
  community leaders
• Conducted 15 outreach events, reaching gt1,300
  people

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Legacy of old homes can helpprovide hope for
other rural regions
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Community Partners and Funding
Center for Economic and Environmental
Development Center for Family Services Center for
Rural Pennsylvania Commonwealth Community Energy
Project Community Health Services Crawford
Central School District Early Intervention Head
Start Meadville Medical Center
Laboratories Meadville Pediatrics Meadville
Redevelopment Authority Office of Rural
Health Penncrest School District Pennsylvania
Department of Health Pennsylvania Environmental
Research Consortium Project ONE Shuttle Services,
Ltd Visiting Nurses Association of Crawford County
Funding US EPA, Allegheny College, Crawford
Heritage Foundation, CEED, Shanbrom Fund, Wells
Fund , Harold M State Award
Acknowledgements Lindsay Herendeen, David Cass,
Tara Fortier, Krys Castillo, ES 588_F07, HHHC
Educational Outreach Team (Andrew Mihalcin, Sonja
DeJong, Katie Stewrt, Nick Silva, Chas
Moore-Seymore, Christy McShea, Kaitlan Biondi)