The Environmental Health Services unit, in conjunction with the
Lead Poisoning Prevention unit, provides education and inspection/assessment
services to families of lead poisoned children.
WHEN IS A CHILD CONSIDERED TO BE LEAD POISONED?
There is a concern for children with elevated blood lead
levels at and above 10 micrograms per deciliter (ug/dL) of blood.
WHO QUALIFIES FOR CCDPH LEAD PROGRAM SERVICES?
Children with blood lead levels of 15ug/dL (or a child with
three consecutive testing levels at 10 ug/dL - 15 ug/dL) and higher
must receive an environmental lead inspection/risk assessment.
Families of children with blood lead levels of 10 ug/dL and above
that reside within suburban Cook County's jurisdiction may receive
educational
information via mail and are encouraged to have their children
re-tested regularly. The educational information highlights possible
sources of lead in a home and provides ways to control lead in a
child's environment through visually observing the home for peeling
or flaking painted surfaces. Also included are suggestions for properly
controlling dust on surfaces through wet-mopping and wet-washing/wiping
all surfaces with disposable towels.
WHAT SERVICES DOES CCDPH PROVIDE FOR FAMILIES OF CHILDREN WHO ARE
LEAD POISONED?
An environmental lead inspection/risk assessment is conducted by
a CCDPH Licensed Lead
Inspector/Risk Assessor and consists of a thorough visual and
technical inspection. All painted surfaces are tested with an XRF
analyzer and those surfaces that are shown to contain a lead-in-paint
content of 1.0 milligram per centimeter squared (mg/cm2) and higher
are considered to be a lead-based
paint. The visual inspection aides in determining whether the
surface(s) is an immediate lead hazard, a lead-based painted
surface that is peeling, flaking or broken, or a potential lead
risk, a lead-based painted surface that is intact, with no
peeling or flaking.
Once a child's home has been inspected/assessed, the owner of the
property is informed via a "mitigation notice" and detailed
recommended methods of correcting the lead hazards are provided.
The property owners' progress is monitored by CCDPH's Lead Inspectors/Risk
Assessors through follow-up inspections. Once the property
owner has completed the necessary lead corrections, CCDPH's Lead
Inspectors/Risk Assessors collect dust wipe samples for analysis.
If the dust samples fail, the property owner must re-clean those
surfaces and more dust wipe samples are collected. Once the property
owner passes clearance, he/she will receive a "Certificate of
Compliance" letter for that dwelling.
Non-compliant property owners are sent a second mitigation notice
or a "Notice of Deficiency" & Order to Correct (Mitigate)
letter. If there is no response from the property owner within the
allotted time, the property owner is referred to the States Attorney's
office for possible prosecution for violating the Childhood
Lead Poisoning Prevention Act and Code.
For more information, call 708-492-2076.
The Illinois Poison Center The Illinois Poison Center serves all of Illinois 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Staffed by nurses, physicians, pharmacists and other poison specialists, the IPC offers free, confidential poison prevention advice and treatment recommendations via a toll-free hot line,1-800-222-1222.
