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Lead Poisoning Prevention  

Lead is one of the most serious environmental hazards faced by young children, especially those under six years of age. Many lead hazards still exist in homes and the environment, including paint, folk remedies, plumbing, glazed ceramics, vinyl mini-blinds, chalk, candle wicks, and others.  These hazards are commonly present during painting and remodeling of pre-1978 housing. When exposed to lead, young children do not show obvious signs of illness unless the amount of lead in their body becomes very high. However, low levels of lead may cause delays in mental and physical development. While these delays  may not be visible when the child is young, they may dramatically affect the child's future. There are medical treatments for lead poisoning, but these have serious side effects and are not recommended unless the child's exposure is very high. For these reasons, it is critical to prevent children from being exposed to lead hazards.

Children under  6 years of age living in or visiting pre-1978 housing are at greatest risk for lead poisoning. Protecting these children from lead hazards does not always need to be complicated. The following basic steps can help prevent a child from becoming lead poisoned or even being exposed to lead:

• Keep painted surfaces in good condition
• Do not power sand lead-based paint, even hand sanding should be avoided
• Wash floors and windows the right away. Click here for instructions.
• Wash your child's hands often, especially before eating
• Eat healthful foods high in iron, calcium, and vitamin C; avoid fatty foods
• Use cold tap water for drinking, cooking, and making infant formula

While these steps are important, they may not be enough to eliminate a child's risk for lead poisoning. For more details on dealing with lead hazards in your home:

• Contact Madison Department of Public Health at 266-4821 or at jhausbeck@cityofmadison.com
• Refer to the resources listed at the end of this page.

To address Madison's lead poisoning problem, the MDPH Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program works at the following goals:

• Prevent children from being exposed to lead hazards
• Assure that Madison children receive blood lead screening
• Assist families when a child is lead poisoned
• Analysis of lead poisoning issues in Madison

Preventing Exposure to Lead Hazards:

Consultation and Outreach: The Department works to prevent lead exposure by educating Madison residents, property owners, and contractors on the hazards of lead and ways to minimize or eliminate lead hazards. This is done through one-to-one consultation and group presentations. If you have questions about lead or would like someone to talk with your group about lead hazards, please call 608-266-4821 or email us at jhausbeck@cityofmadison.com

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Lead Ordinance Enforcement: Through enforcement of Madison General Ordinance 7.49, the Department intends to prevent lead exposures by ensuring that property owners and contractors follow safe work practices when painting or remodeling older housing. Click on the following links for more information in English or Spanish on this ordinance regarding the Lead Poisoning Prevention Program. 

To register a complaint or ask questions about unsafe lead work that you have witnessed, call 266-4821.

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Assurance of Blood Lead Screening for Children:

Blood lead screening for children: Lead screening is available from Madison Department of Public Health Clinics for children ages 9 months to 6 years who are unable to be screened by a private medical provider. To obtain lead screening services for your child, call 608-266-4821to schedule an appointment.

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Outreach to Medical Providers: Most Madison families receive medical care for their young children from private medical providers. For this reason, it is important for these providers to be knowledgeable about the risk for lead poisoning and the current guidelines for screening and treatment of children for lead exposure and poisoning. As with the general public, the Department provides one-to-one consultation and group presentations on request to local clinics and providers. To schedule a presentation at your clinic or request specific information on case management for a lead poisoned child, call or email the Environmental Epidemiologist at 608-294-5315 or jhausbeck@cityofmadison.com

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Assistance for Families with Lead Poisoned Children:

A child is considered lead poisoned if they have a blood lead level (BLL) of 10 m g/dL or greater. Families with lead poisoned children are eligible for the following services:

Children with BLL 10 - 14 m g/dL:

• Home visit and visual inspection by certified lead hazard investigator or risk assessor.
• Professional consultation on managing lead hazards in the home.
• A basic lead clean-up kit.
• Mailed reminders for follow-up blood lead testing of the lead poisoned child.

Children with BLL ³ 15 m g/dL:

• Full lead risk assessment of the child's primary residence. Risk assessment of additional properties as appropriate.
• Public health nurse case management to assess child development and assure appropriate medical management.
• Professional consultation on managing lead hazards in the home including written orders to correct the lead hazards identified.
• A basic lead clean-up kit.
• Mailed reminders for follow-up blood lead testing of the lead poisoned child.

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Paint and Water Testing: The Department's lab offers paint and water testing to all Madison residents. The cost for each paint sample is $20 and each water sample is $25. Click here for instructions collecting and submitting paint samples. For water samples, we ask that you stop by our department to pick up a sample bottle and instructions. If you are interested in lead dust wipe samples, contact the WI Occupational Health Lab at 224-6210.

To inquire about these services, call the Department at 608-266-4821.

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Current Status of Lead Poisoning in Madison:

Homes at Risk: Lead-based paint or varnish may be present in any house, apartment or condominium built before 1978. Of these homes, those built before 1950 have the greatest risk of having lead-based paint or varnish. When was your home built? To find out, click here to visit the City Assessor property information page.

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Lead in Water: While lead paint is a much greater hazard, lead plumbing can also result in exposure to lead. In Madison, this is primarily limited to homes built before 1928 that still have a lead service (the water pipe running from the street main to your water meter). To correct this, Madison Water Utility is working to remove all lead service lines by 2010. For more information, click here. Other sources of lead in water include brass and galvanized steel fixtures and valves.

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Lead Poisoned Children: In 2002, 1.9% of Madison children were found to be lead poisoned. This similar to the national level of 2.2% and is lower than the statewide level of 5.4%. While this is good news, a sobering thought is that lead screening rates in Madison are currently 17%. Considering the potential for lead hazards in Madison, this may not be enough to identify all lead poisoned children.

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• Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services (DHFS) - Information on lead screening, health effects, lead-safe housing, lead-safe renovation, etc

• WI DHFS Certified Lead Contractors and Consultants - Listing of certified contractors and consultants in Wisconsin by City or County

• US Environmental Protection Agency - Provides information about lead, lead hazards, and some simple steps to protect your family  

• Protect Your Family from Lead: English (PDF) and Español (PDF)

• US Department of Housing and Urban Development - Information on housing regulations and technical guidance on lead hazard investigation and abatement

• US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - Information on national trends and research in lead poisoning.

• Lead Paint Safety Guide - Provides practical guidance on lead safe painting and remodeling, including clean-up

• Lead in Your Home, A Parents Reference Guide - Provides detailed guidance for managing lead hazards and protecting children from lead exposures.

• Childhood Lead Poisoning (PDF)

• Effects of Lead (PDF)

• Feasibility of Screening (PDF)

• Primary Prevention (PDF)

• Targeted Screenings (PDF)

• Screenings for Lead (PDF)

• Collaborating with Private Sector Physicians (PDF)

• The Effects of Lead in Milwaukee's Water (PDF)

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