BREWSTER, NY—Lead poisoning is a serious health problem, especially for children. Springtime home renovations can disturb old, covered-up lead paint and increase the risk for poisoning. That is why Putnam County Department of Health staff from all divisions team up to advise residents how to take precautions when home improvements are planned and to make other good choices year-round to avoid this preventable health problem.

“Lead is toxic to all people, regardless of their age or health status,” says Public Health Director Rian Rodriguez, MPH, who assumed leadership of the department at the end of March. “There is no safe amount of lead in anyone’s blood. We are most concerned about children because their developing brains can more easily absorb lead. They also are most likely to put their hands in their mouths, after picking up lead dust from the floor. This can result in lifetime impacts, with slowed growth, learning and behavioral issues, hearing and speech problems, and lowered intelligence—all resulting from damage to the brain and nervous system.”

Preventing lead poisoning is one of the indispensable roles that the health department plays. Just like fire departments work to prevent fires in multiple ways, so does health department staff in the environmental, nursing and health education divisions work to eliminate lead poisoning.

“If renovations to a living space are planned, it is best to hire a lead-safe contractor, trained and certified in lead-safe work practices,” said Brian Stevens, associate public health sanitarian in the environmental health services division. “These guidelines are from the Environmental Protection Agency and are certainly the safest way to do renovations or remodeling. However, for do-it-yourselfers with smaller projects, the EPA does also provide some online guidance,” continued Mr. Stevens. Smaller amounts of lead dust can also be generated if a lead-painted window or door frame has excessive friction, even in normal use. 

Drinking water in a home can also cause lead poisoning if it becomes contaminated by running through plumbing with lead present. Most homeowners in Putnam County have their own private wells and are responsible for checking the make-up of their water and maintaining their own plumbing systems. Homeowners on community water systems rely on their water operators to ensure safe water. In 2023, revisions to the Lead and Copper Rule by the EPA mandated that inventories be conducted nationwide to determine if lead was present in the community water system lines. Putnam County water operators have conducted and submitted these inventories to New York State. Customers in systems with leaded lines, and those with still unknown line compositions, have been notified by letter, advising on steps to reduce the chance of lead exposure. Water systems where the inventories indicated line compositions remain as “unknown” must annually update and report to the state until the compositions are all identified. Water systems are also required to notify customers whenever routine tests show levels that exceed the acceptable standard for lead.

Older homes in certain areas, especially where housing was built before the 1978 lead paint ban, are at greater risk. While lead dust from the chipping and peeling of such lead-based paints is the most common source of lead exposure, numerous other avenues for lead poisoning exist. Lead has been found in spices, snacks and candies; home or herbal remedies; clay pots and dishes; toys and jewelry; and cosmetics and ceremonial powders. This is especially true if these products are made overseas or are no longer produced in the United States. For example, antiques, collectibles and items passed down through generations from the U.S. or abroad may contain lead. Certain hobbies such as stained-glass work and firing range activities, and some jobs including professional remodeling and demolition, can introduce lead into one’s home environment.

In the fall of 2023, a national public health alert and recall for certain brands of apple cinnamon fruit pouches was issued by the Food and Drug Administration, known as the FDA. One brand was sold in Putnam and caused serious health impacts among children here who consumed them. Public health nurses at the health department sprang into action and for more than a year have been monitoring the blood levels of lead of these children.

“Periodic blood monitoring of the child’s blood after exposure is what we do at the health department. It helps us be certain that the lead source has been eliminated and the ‘BLLs’ or blood lead levels are going down,” said Jeanette Baldanza, RN, public health nurse at the health department. Monitoring stops when levels fall below 5 micrograms per deciliter for two consecutive tests. “Keep in mind though, there is no safe amount of lead in a person’s blood,” reminded Ms. Baldanza. “That’s why health care providers in New York State are required by public health law to do blood lead tests for all children at age one and again at two. As a precaution, the law also requires they do annual periodic assessments of possible exposure, beginning at 6 months until a child reaches the age of six years.”

Toys made overseas have also been sources of possible lead poisoning. Ms. Baldanza pointed to a recall issued earlier this year for bowling pin sipper cups, distributed at bowling alleys nationwide. The items were manufactured in China and distributed by a company in Texas. More information is available at the Consumer Product Safety Commission website.

The mission of the Putnam County Department of Health is to improve and protect the health of the Putnam County community. The department, nationally accredited by the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB), serves a community composed of nearly 100,000 residents. Core services are provided through a lens of equity, and include community health assessment, disease surveillance and control, emergency preparedness, environmental health protection, family health promotion and health education. For more information, please visit the County website at www.putnamcountyny.gov, or visit our social media sites on Facebook, X (formerly known as Twitter) and Instagram @PutnamHealthNY.

Additional Resources

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): Lead Hotline – The National Lead Information Center (in Spanish and English)
https://www.epa.gov/lead/forms/lead-hotline-national-lead-information-center

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): Protect Your family from Sources of Lead
https://www.epa.gov/lead/protect-your-family-sources-lead

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): Plomo
https://espanol.epa.gov/plomo

New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) (in fourteen languages including English): Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention
https://www.health.ny.gov/environmental/lead/#:~:text=New%20York%20State%20Public%20Health%20Law%20and%20Regulations%20require%20health,as%20part%20of%20routine%20care.

Centers for Disease Control (CDC): About Lead in Consumer Products
https://www.cdc.gov/lead-prevention/prevention/consumer-products.html

Centers for Disease Control (CDC): About Lead in Jobs, Hobbies, or Other Activities
https://www.cdc.gov/lead-prevention/prevention/jobs-hobbies-activities.html