Lead Poisoning Prevention

Lead Poisoning is Permanent....But Prevention is Possible

Lead is a neurotoxin that impacts brain development in those affected, particularly children. Lead poisoning is permanent but it can be prevented. The following tips are taken directly from the New York State Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Website.

How to protect children

Keep children away from peeling paint and broken plaster.
Wash their hands after play, before meals, and before bed to rinse off any lead dust or dirt.
Wash your child's toys often, especially teething toys. Learn more about product recalls including toys.
Use cold water - not hot - for infant formula or cooking. Let the cold water tap run for at least a minute before using to flush lead picked up from pipes. Learn more about lead in drinking water.

Store food from open cans in glass or plastic containers.
Use lead-free dishes. Some dishes may have lead in their glazes. Don't use chipped or cracked dishes to store or serve food.
Be careful with your hobbies. Some crafts call for use of paints, glazes and solder. Many of these may contain lead. Learn more about possible lead dangers while working on a hobby.
Don't bring lead home with you from work. People who work at construction, plumbing, painting, auto repair and certain other jobs can be exposed to lead. Learn more about possible lead dangers while working on a construction site.
Wash work clothes separately.
Keep children away from remodeling and renovation sites. Old paint can have lead in it.
Avoid having children play in soil especially around the foundations of older buildings and near roadways. Use a sandbox instead.
When windows are open in warm weather, wash the sills and window wells any time you see dust, but at least once a month.
Call your local health department for information about professionals who handle lead paint problems.
If you are a renter, the Residential Tenants’ Rights Guide can explain laws that can help you and provide resources to find more information about landlord and tenant issues, like lead.

Feed your family foods that get ahead of lead

Foods high in iron, calcium and Vitamin C can help prevent lead poisoning:

Iron – Protects from the harmful effects of lead
Calcium – Makes it hard for lead to enter the body
Vitamin C – Helps the body absorb iron and calcium better

What else can you do and what can we do together?

The New York State Healthy Neighborhoods Program is one example of a program that provides resources to offer in-home assessment and interventions for a number of home environmental safety issues including lead. The program is voluntary and allows residents in high-risk areas to have a no-cost home inspection to assess for environmental health and safety concerns. Problems may be identified and a member of the HNP may provide education or other resources like referrals to reduce household hazards. Lead poisoning prevention is one of the areas considered. The visits are done in a non-threatening or non-judgmental way. HNP inspectors assess the home without fear of reprisal.

Three NYS regional resource centers also provide medical expertise and resources to health care providers on lead exposure. The New York State Occupational Health Clinic Network helps those exposed to lead in the workplace. The NYS Children’s Environmental Health Centers provide services and resources to and through community partners, including environmental health screenings, education, training, communication and other programs. The Advisory Council on Lead Poisoning Prevention is outlined under New York State Public Health Law (Title 10 of Article 13) to provide guidance to the state Department of Health regarding plans, policies and services related to childhood lead poisoning.

U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) offers several grants to help states, cities, counties and other entities in education, inspection and abatement of lead hazards. Several counties in New York State have received HUD grants including Chautauqua County (Lead Hazard Reduction Grant), and Cattaraugus and Allegany Counties (working collaboratively on the Lead Capacity Building Grant). These grants allow recipients to train contractors in abatement, communicating the hazards of lead and to counter disinformation and misinformation, and develop community partnerships to ensure lead hazards are reduced in the community.

In 2023, New York State implemented the Leading in Lead Prevention Pilot Program providing monies to communities of concern outside of New York City.

Additionally, the New Lead Rental Registry Law will go into effect in November, 2025. Property owners, landlords, and contractors in communities with the highest number of childhood lead poisonings and older rental properties will be required to remove sources of lead in pre-1980 residential rental housing with two or more units. The city of Jamestown in Chautauqua County is one of the first communities required to participate in the rental registry program.