Ken Sharp,
Acting 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.
The Bureau of Lead Poisoning Prevention also houses the Occupational Health and Safety Surveillance Program and the Pesticide Poisoning Surveillance Program.
Documents denoted by 
are available in Portable Document Format (.pdf).
In April 2010, regulations impacting renovation work in pre-1978 residential housing (target housing) and child occupied facilities became effective nation-wide. These rules require at least one certified lead-safe renovator per renovation, and the use of specific lead-safe work practices. In Iowa, the Iowa Dept of Public Health has the authority to implement this program. These rules are found in 641 - Chapter 70 of the Iowa Administrative Code.
The final version of the revised Iowa Administrative Code chapters are below.
Below is a calendar of upcoming courses for lead professionals.
Below is a document that contains some frequently asked questions about these rules.
Below is the list of Iowa Approved Lead Safe Renovator Training Providers.
Below is an update provided to the Iowa State Board of Health in April 2011.
Please check this web site frequently for additional information about the new rules.
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.
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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 all adults 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.
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.
The Lead Certification Program requires training and certification of lead professionals, including lead inspectors, elevated blood lead inspectors, visual risk assessors, lead abatement contractors, lead abatement workers, and lead-safe renovators. It also requires certification of the firms that employ certified lead professionals.
Certified firms and lead professionals must provide services according to work practices outlined in state rules. Lead Professional Certification ensures that lead inspectors and/or risk assessors and visual risk assessors are properly trained and certified to identify lead hazards and to assure that lead hazards have been remediated. Certification also ensures that lead abatement contractors, lead abatement workers, and lead-safe renovators are properly trained and certified to conduct abatement that will properly eliminate lead hazards and to conduct renovation, remodeling, and painting in a safe manner.
The Iowa Department of Public Health approves training providers and then certifies firms and individuals who meet the requirements in the regulations. A copy of the regulations for certified firms and lead professionals can be found at 641 Iowa Administrative Code Chapter 70
Individuals should obtain applications for individual and firm certification when they take a course from an approved training provider. There are no application forms on this website.
Below is a link to the calendar of courses offered by approved training providers.
Click on the links below for lists of approved training providers.
Click on the links below for lists of certified lead professionals.
Contact Information
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 Department of Public Health Memo regarding pre-renovation notification.
The Occupational Health and Safety Surveillance program protects the health of these Iowa workers by carrying out surveillance of 13 indicators of occupational safety and health and investigating unusual cases of occupational injury and disease. The program gives information to workers to protect themselves from work-related illness, injuries, and fatalities in the future. This program is supported by a grant from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and health.
For more information, contact:
For more information, contact:
