Project Funders: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
Project Partners: Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Simon Fraser University, and the Brown University School of Public Health
Project Contact: Jonathan Wilson, jwilson@nchh.org, 443.539.4162
What we studied: Study goals were to determine (1) the feasibility of reaching low dust lead levels after remediation, (2) whether remediation effectiveness varied by the intensity of the lead intervention work, and (3) the durability of dust and blood lead level improvements.
Why it matters: In 2019, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) lowered residential floor and windowsill dust lead hazard standards to 10 and 100 μg/ft2, respectively. In 2020, the EPA also reduced post-abatement clearance standards to these same levels, down from previous clearance standards of 40 and 250 μg/ft2, respectively. We examined the impact of these new standards on children’s blood lead levels and feasibility of achieving even lower dust lead levels on these surfaces.
What we found: Results demonstrated that achievement of dust lead levels less than 5 μg/ft2 for floors and less than 50 μg/ft2 for windowsills was feasible with a median of just one clearance attempt (range one to five attempts). While these lower floor levels were not sustained through one-year post-remediation, the lower windowsill dust lead were sustained for at least two years.
Impact of study: EPA should consider lowering both dust lead hazard standards and clearance standards to protect more U.S. children from lead exposure.
Project Description
We examined existing data from a randomized controlled trial (the HOME Study), in which pregnant women had been enrolled and remediation completed before the child was born. Homes were randomly assigned to either a lead intervention (103 homes/children) or injury prevention (115 homes/children) group and followed for two years, at which 72 and 79 homes/children remained, respectively.
Resources
This is a new study. We’ll post resources here as they become available.
Related
NCHH and Partners Awarded $1.24 Million for HUD Technical Studies Grants [url; NCHH, 2018]
HOME Study Summary [url; Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center]
Braun, J. M., Yolton, K., Newman, N., Jacobs, D. E., Taylor, M., & Lanphear, B. (2021, October). Residential dust lead levels and the risk of childhood lead poisoning in United States children. Pediatric Research, 90(4), 896-902.
Latest page update: April 28, 2022.