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| Vol. 25, No. 4 |
| March 1, 2003 |
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Get the Lead Out By PORFIRIO VILLARREAL Houston Department of Health and Human Services About 300 homes with lead-based paint will undergo lead abatement under a new federal grant supplemented by matching local funds. A $2.16 million Department of Housing and Urban Development grant will be augmented with bond funds from the city’s housing and community development department, bringing the total project to $3.48 million. The Houston Department of Health and Human Services will oversee the project and will receive funding from the federal grant over a two-year period. Privately owned or rental homes that are known to have caused lead poisoning in low-income children under the age of six qualify for the abatement as long as they are within Houston city limits. Inner-city neighborhoods will be targeted. Houston ZIP codes where children appear to be at much higher risk for lead poisoning include 77003, 77004, 77007, 77009, 77011, 77019, 77020, 77023, 77026 and 77028. Through two previous federal grants, the department’s Lead-Based Paint Hazard Control Program has treated 700 Houston homes since 1996. Lead-reduction includes removing and replacing contaminated housing components, stabilizing or enclosing painted surfaces and temporarily relocating families during the renovation process. Elevated lead levels in children’s blood can result in learning disabilities, behavioral problems, mental retardation, speech and language handicaps and even brain damage. Seizures, coma and even death are possible at extremely high levels. As lead-based paint in older homes deteriorates, it creates dust as well as paint chips which can be eaten by young children, especially those between ages 1 and 3. Renovation or remodeling can disturb lead paint. Also, a young child can easily chew on painted surfaces such as windowsills and doorframes in a lead-exposed home. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that more than 80 percent of all homes built before 1978 in the United States contain lead-based paint. The older the house, the more likely it is to contain lead-based paint, as well as a higher concentration of lead in the paint. The main treatment for lead poisoning is to stop the exposure. Removing lead from a child’s environment helps ensure a decline in blood-lead levels. In some cases, medications can lower elevated levels. Although particularly harmful to the developing brain and nervous system of fetuses and young children, lead can harm virtually every system in the human body. It can damage the kidneys and the reproductive system and cause high blood pressure.
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