UNLV's School of Public Health and the Southern Nevada Health District are teaming up on a new project aimed at preventing harmful lead exposure in children--one home at a time.
As part of the statewide Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program, UNLV and the health district will be conducting free and voluntary lead-based paint inspections in homes built prior to 1978 throughout the Las Vegas Valley.
Exposure to lead-based paint, used widely in homes built prior to 1978, occurs as the paint deteriorates and peels or flakes. The deteriorated paint creates dust that people, especially children, get on their hands and into their bodies. With approximately 170,000 pre-1978 homes in Las Vegas, lead-based paint as a source of potential contamination has become a primary focus of investigation for researchers and health officials.
"Lead poisoning in children is completely preventable, and our goal is to identify and remediate sources before a child is poisoned," said Shawn Gerstenberger, associate professor and chair of the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health within the UNLV School of Public Health. "This project will help us gain a better understanding of local sources of lead-contamination and enables us to focus our efforts on issues specific to Southern Nevada."
Lead poisoning results from the gradual accumulation of lead in bone and tissue after repeated exposure to contaminated materials including lead-based paint, soil, household dust, pottery and cookware. Children absorb lead more easily than adults, making them particularly susceptible to the adverse affects of lead. In children six and younger, lead poisoning can cause learning disabilities and behavioral problems and, at very high levels, seizures, coma and even death.
The home inspections will consist of a surface-by-surface investigation using a handheld X-ray fluorescence (XRF) machine, which detects lead in paint, dust and soil. The entire process lasts approximately an hour and is non-invasive. If a home is found to contain lead-based paint, investigators will work with the homeowner to determine the best course of remediation. Strategies depend on many factors and range from cleaning and maintenance in minor instances to door and window replacement, paint stabilization techniques and renovation in more severe cases.
The initial phase of the project will continue through June 2008. To schedule an inspection, contact the Southern Nevada Health District at (702) 759-1283. Homeowners who need more information on the age of their residence can visit the Office of the Clark County Assessor's website, www.co.clark.nv.us/assessor/.
The Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program began in 2006 as the result of a grant to the Southern Nevada Health District from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The program is a partnership between the health district, UNLV and the Nevada Center of Environmental Health Surveillance and includes assessment of lead levels in local residences, protocol development and testing of environmental samples. Research already conducted by the UNLV School of Public Health and the Southern Nevada Health District has led to the removal of lead-tainted candy from store shelves in Southern Nevada.
