Lead Poisoning Prevention

Lead Screening

  •  Lead screening is required in New York State for children at age 1 and age 2 as they are the most vulnerable population for lead poisoning.
  • Children under age 6 are also at risk for lead poisoning.
  • Prevent lead poisoning. Get your home tested. Get your child tested. Get the facts!
  • Was your house painted before 1978? Protect your family from lead exposure.
  • Remodeling the home? Renovate right with lead-safe work practices.

What Your child's Lead Level Means

The Public Health Nurse Provides:

  • Follow-up to families whose child has a higher than normal lead level.
  • Referral for environmental evaluation by the NYS Department of Health District Environmental Office as necessary.
  • Education to increase awareness regarding lead in our environment, measures to reduce lead exposure and nutritional guidelines.

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Common Places to find Lead

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Lead Cleaning home infographic

Cleaning up Lead-Dust in Your Home

The best method for removing lead-contaminated dust combines using a vacuum cleaner, ideally equipped with a High Efficiency Particulate Air Filter (HEPA),  and wet wiping at least once a week.

Cleaning Supplies Checklist:

  • Vacuum
  • Mop
  • 2 Buckets
  • Heavy Duty Trash Bags
  • Non-Toxic Cleaner
  • Disposable Rags
  • Rubber Gloves
  • Disposable Mop Cloths

Step 1: Vacuum the room, starting at the highest point and working your way down to the floor. Note: If you do not have a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter or do not have a vacuum at all, you can do just the wet wiping. (See Step 3.)

Step 2: Exit the room and let the dust settle in the room for 30 minutes.  If you don't wait for the dust to settle, you may breathe in lead dust or you may not get all the dust when you are wet wiping.

Step 3: Wet Wiping

  • Wear rubber gloves and mix cleaning solution in one bucket and fill the other with clean water.
  • Wet a disposable rag in the bucket of cleaning solution and wipe down surfaces: Window sills, window wells, door frames, walls.  Wet a disposable mop cloth with the cleaning solution and mop the floors.
  • Throw away the used rags and used mop cloth into a heavy duty garbage bag after use.

Step 4: Rinse

  • Wet a fresh disposable rag in the bucket of clean rinse water and wipe down the surfaces you washed.  Wet a disposable mop cloth with the rinse water and mop the floor.
  • Throw away the used rags and used mop cloths into the heavy duty garbage bag after use.

Step 5: Getting rid of the used cleaning solution and rinse water. 

  • When you are done, pour the buckets of rinse water and used cleaning solution down the toilet.  Do not pour water into a sink or bath tub.



Reduce Exposure to Lead During The Summer Months
Avoid playing within 3 feet of homes/building built prior to 1980.  This drip edge area may contain lead particles from:
*   Paint that has been scraped, chipped, or sandblasted
*   Residue from demolished structures
*   Lead-painted wood that is recycled into wood chips for mulch
*   Degraded lead based paint from weather

Wash hands with soap and water after playing in soil, before meals, naps and bedtime.
Wash toys that are housed near the home's foundation.

Prevent Human Lead Exposure from fishing and hunting

Ammunition, sinkers, and jig heads have usually been made of lead because it is cheaper and holds it’s shape easily.

What can you do?

  • Stop using lead tackle (includes lead-weighted jigs)
  • Buy lead-free tackle (ask retailers to stock lead-free replacements)
  • Recover snagged tackle (Hooks, lures, monofilament)
  • Use Lead-free ammunition
  • Educate other peers so that can do the same

Learn more in our Brochure:

Prevent Human Lead Exposure from Hunting and Fishing

The State of New York banned the selling of small lead fishing sinkers. The lead fishing tackle law: S 11-0308. 

Assembly Bill A5728 prohibits the use of lead ammunition in the taking of wildlife on: 

  • Wildlife Management Areas
  • State forests
  • Forest preserves
  • State parks
  • Any other state-owned land that is open for hunting and on land contributing surface water to the New York city water supply. 

Click Image for PDF of Brochure

Lead Ammo Broch
Is Your Child Safe from Lead Poisoning?
In this podcast, Dr. Mary Jean Brown, chief of CDC's Lead Poisoning and Prevention Program, discusses the importance of testing children for lead poisoning, who should be tested, and what parents can do to prevent lead poisoning. Created: 10/2/2008 by National Center for Environmental Health (NCEH). Date Released: 10/2/2008. Series Name: CDC Featured Podcasts.

Resource Links

Protect Your Children and Your Family: