Rita Gergely,
Bureau Chief
Lucas State Ofc. Bldg
321 E. 12th Street
Des Moines, IA
50319-0075
800-972-2026
Childhood lead poisoning has significant effects on the health of children and on community health. Lead has adverse effects on nearly all organ systems in the body. It is especially harmful to the developing brains and nervous systems of children under the age of six years. At very high blood lead levels, children can have severe brain damage or even die. At blood lead levels as low as 10 micrograms per deciliter (µg/dL), children's intelligence, hearing, and growth are affected. Statewide, the prevalence of lead poisoning among children under the age of six years is 7 percent. This is more than four times the national average of 1.6 percent. In a community, the presence of lead-poisoned children can be associated with an increase in the number of children with developmental deficits and learning disorders. This places an unnecessary and expensive burden on the educational system. The presence of lead-poisoned children also requires substantial community public health resources for medical and environmental case management services.
Most of Iowa's pre-1950 homes contain lead-based paint. Young children who live in pre-1950 homes become lead-poisoned when they put paint chips or exterior soil in their mouths or when they get house dust and soil on their hands and put their hands in their mouths. In addition, adults who remodel or repaint these homes may be lead-poisoned if they disturb the lead-based paint.
Although lead poisoning can cause serious health problems--including death--most lead-poisoned children demonstrate no visible symptoms. This makes it much more important to have an effective program to prevent childhood lead poisoning.
Links to programs within the Bureau of Lead Poisoning Prevention:
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Mandatory Blood Lead Testing
House File 158 was passed by the 2007 legislature and was amended by the 2008 legislature. It is effective July 1, 2008, and requires all children entering kindergarten to have been tested for lead poisoning. The Iowa Department of Public Health has recommended since 1992 that all children be tested for lead poisoning. This new requirement will assure that children are tested and if identified as lead-poisoned, receive interventions to reduce the effects of lead poisoning on their growth and development.
Contact Information
Adult Blood Lead Epidemiology and Surveillance (ABLES) Program
The ABLES program collects results of all blood lead testing done on Iowans 16 years of age or older. It also conducts intervention with adults who have blood lead levels greater than or equal to 25 µg/dL (micrograms per deciliter) by sending information or conducting a telephone interview. In addition, the program provides information and education regarding adult lead exposure by answering individual inquiries and through formal training of lead inspectors and lead abatement contractors. The purpose of the program is to reduce the prevalence of elevated blood lead levels in Iowa adults by working with individual lead-poisoned adults to reduce their blood lead levels and by providing information on how adults can reduce their exposure to lead in the home and workplace environments. IDPH provides direct services statewide in this program. Local health departments, health care providers, and employers are partners with IDPH in this program. The IDPH recommends that males, and adult females who do not plan to have children, keep their blood lead levels at less 25 ug/dL Adult females who do plan to have children should try to keep their blood lead levels at less than10 ug/dL. In addition, staff identified several cases where children were exposed to lead from parents who worked with lead on the job. The intervention in such situations is to work with the employer and employees to bring about changes in work practices and personal hygiene to reduce the amount of lead dust and fumes produced in the workplace.
Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program
The CLPPP works to reduce the prevalence of childhood lead poisoning in Iowa through the following activities:
The target population for this program is all Iowa children under the age of six years. Federal and state funds are used to carry out the program statewide through a combination of direct services in 28 counties and contracts and technical assistance to Title V child health clinics and public health agencies in 71 counties. The community partners in this program are local health departments, Title V child health clinics, health care providers, area education agencies, and housing agencies.
Lead Professional Certification Program
The Lead Certification Program requires training and certification of lead professionals, including lead inspectors, elevated blood lead inspectors, visual risk assessors, lead abatement contractors, and lead abatement workers. Certified lead professionals must provide services according to practices outlined in state rules. Lead Professional Certification ensures that lead inspectors and/or risk assessors, visual risk assessors, lead abatement contractors, and lead abatement workers are properly trained and certified to do inspections that will identify lead hazards and conduct abatement that will properly eliminate lead hazards. The Iowa Department of Public Health approves training providers and then certifies individuals who meet the requirements in the regulations. Click here to access the certified lead professionals information.
A copy of the regulations for certified lead professionals can be found at 641 Iowa Administrative Code Chapter 70
Pre-renovation Notification Program
This program requires notification that lead-based paint may be present prior to renovation, remodeling, or repainting in pre-1978 target housing.
A copy of the regulations for the notification program can be found at 641 Iowa Administrative Code Chapter 69
Click here for a copy of the Iowa Dept. of Public Health Memo regarding pre-renovation notification.
Links and Publications: