Lead paint abatement programs
Lead paint abatement programs eliminate lead-based paint and contaminated dust by removing or encapsulating lead paint or removing lead painted fixtures and surfaces (US HUD-Lead 2012). Approximately 24 million housing units contain serious lead hazards such as peeling lead paint and lead contaminated dust (CDC-Lead prevention); lead-based paint is the most widespread source of high-dose lead exposure for young children (CDC-Lead info for parents). As of 2012, scientists indicate no safe blood lead level (BLL). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) blood lead reference level for initiating public health actions to prevent further exposure and mitigate health effects is 5 micrograms per deciliter (µg/dL); it is estimated that over 500,000 children have BLLs at or above this level (White 2015, NCHH-Lead 2014, CDC-Lead facts).
Expected Beneficial Outcomes (Rated)
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Reduced lead exposure
Other Potential Beneficial Outcomes
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Reduced blood lead levels
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Improved health outcomes
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Improved child behavior
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Improved youth behavior
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Reduced health care costs
Evidence of Effectiveness
There is strong evidence that lead paint abatement programs reduce lead dust exposure when removal of the lead source is confirmed (NCHH-Jacobs 2009, Levin 2008, Breysse J, Anderson J, Dixon S, Galke W, Wilson J. Immediate and one-year post-intervention effectiveness of Maryland's lead law treatments. Environmental Research. 2007;105(2):267-275.
Link to original source (journal subscription may be required for access)Breysse 2007, Dixon SL, Wilson JW, Clark CS, et al. Effectiveness of lead-hazard control interventions on dust lead loadings: Findings from the evaluation of the HUD Lead-Based Paint Hazard Control Grant Program. Environmental Research. 2005;98(3):303–14.
Link to original source (journal subscription may be required for access)Dixon 2005, Dixon SL, Jacobs DE, Wilson JW, et al. Window replacement and residential lead paint hazard control 12 years later. Environmental Research. 2012;113:14-20.
Link to original source (journal subscription may be required for access)Dixon 2012, Wilson J, Pivetz T, Ashley P et al. Evaluation of HUD-funded lead hazard control treatments at 6 years post-intervention. Environmental Research. 2006;102(2):237-48.
Link to original source (journal subscription may be required for access)Wilson 2006, Wilson J, Dixon SL, Jacobs DE, et al. An investigation into porch dust lead levels. Environmental Research. 2015;137:129-135.
Link to original source (journal subscription may be required for access)Wilson 2015, Armstrong 2014). Additional evidence is needed to confirm effects on blood lead levels, especially over the long-term (Armstrong 2014, NCHH-Jacobs 2009).
Lead abatement can improve health outcomes for children and adults by reducing developmental disorders, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder-related behaviors (ADHD), anemia, hypertension, and kidney and brain damage (Armstrong 2014, Berg DR, Eckstein ET, Steiner MS, Gavard JA, Gross GA. Childhood lead poisoning prevention through prenatal housing inspection and remediation in St. Louis, MO. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2012;206(3):199.e1-199.e4.
Link to original source (journal subscription may be required for access)Berg 2012, NCHH-Jacobs 2009). Newborn infants are especially vulnerable to effects of lead exposure (Vigeh M, Yokoyama K, Matsukawa T, Shinohara A, Ohtani K. Low level prenatal blood lead adversely affects early childhood mental development. Journal of Child Neurology. 2014;29(10):1305-1311.
Link to original source (journal subscription may be required for access)Vigeh 2014); a St. Louis-based study suggests prenatal screening and proactive lead hazard remediation can prevent exposure among some newborns (Berg DR, Eckstein ET, Steiner MS, Gavard JA, Gross GA. Childhood lead poisoning prevention through prenatal housing inspection and remediation in St. Louis, MO. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2012;206(3):199.e1-199.e4.
Link to original source (journal subscription may be required for access)Berg 2012).
Childhood lead exposure is associated with an increased likelihood that children and teenagers engage in adverse behaviors such as aggression, crime (Needleman 2002), and risky sexual activity (Wolpaw Reyes J. Lead exposure and behavior: Effects on antisocial and risky behavior among children and adolescents. Economic Inquiry. 2015;53(3):1580-1605.
Link to original source (journal subscription may be required for access)Wolpaw Reyes 2015). Higher prenatal and childhood blood lead levels have been associated with increased adult arrest rates and arrests for violent offenses (Wright 2008). Reduced lead exposure may be linked to reductions in violent crime levels roughly twenty years after exposure would have occurred (NBER-Wolpaw Reyes 2007, Feigenbaum 2015).
Local lead laws are associated with reduced lead hazards for children, especially in rental properties (Korfmacher KS, Hanley ML. Are local laws the key to ending childhood lead poisoning? Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law. 2013;38(4):757-813.
Link to original source (journal subscription may be required for access)Korfmacher 2013, Korfmacher 2012), and local housing laws can support rehabilitation of older homes contaminated with lead (Korfmacher 2014). A Philadelphia court that enforces lead hazard laws appears to increase property remediation rates (Campbell C, Gracely E, Pan S, et al. Public health and law collaboration: The Philadelphia Lead Court study. American Journal of Public Health. 2013;103(7):1271-1277.
Link to original source (journal subscription may be required for access)Campbell 2013a). Public-private sector partnerships can increase efficiency in remediation, prevention, and support of early interventions for children exposed to lead (NCHH-Lead 2014). Abatement and childhood lead screening programs that focus on communities with homes built before 1978, when lead paint was commonly used, may most effectively identify and reduce lead poisoning (White 2015).
Childhood lead poisoning occurs at higher rates among families with lower incomes, those living in older homes, and those residing in urban areas than their counterparts (White 2015, Korfmacher 2014, Reed W. Preventing childhood lead poisoning. In: Lemelle AJ, Reed W, Taylor S, eds. Handbook of African American Health: Social and Behavioral Interventions. New York: Springer; 2011:103-11.
Link to original source (journal subscription may be required for access)Reed 2011a, NCHH-Lead 2014). On average, black children from low income families have higher blood lead levels than white or Hispanic children from low income families (White 2015).
Cost benefit analysis finds positive net benefits and a high rate of return for lead abatement programs overall (Nussbaumer-Streit B, Yeoh B, Griebler U, et al. Household interventions for preventing domestic lead exposure in children. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2016;(12):CD006047.
Link to original source (journal subscription may be required for access)Cochrane-Nussbaumer-Streit 2016, Gould 2009). Economic modeling suggests that future earnings and decreased medical costs for children who benefit from these programs range from 2-20 times the estimated costs of lead abatement (Jones DJ. Primary prevention and health outcomes: Treatment of residential lead-based paint hazards and the prevalence of childhood lead poisoning. Journal of Urban Economics. 2012;71(1):151-164.
Link to original source (journal subscription may be required for access)Jones 2012).
Impact on Disparities
No impact on disparities likely
Implementation Examples
As of 2016, 44 states have adopted laws to address lead hazards, primarily lead paint and lead dust (NCSL-Lead hazards 2016). In Maryland, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Washington DC, laws focus on identifying and fixing lead paint hazards before children are exposed (Korfmacher 2014). Some cities also have lead hazard reduction laws. Rochester, NY, for example, adopted a Lead-Based Paint Poisoning Prevention Ordinance in 2006 that requires lead paint inspections for rental units within the city limits (Rochester-Lead paint). Burlington, VT (Burlington-Lead paint); New York City (NYC-Lead paint); Philadelphia, PA (Philadelphia-Lead paint); and Washington DC (DC-Lead paint) are additional examples of cities with ordinances regarding assessment of lead hazards in rental units.
Many states also support lead hazard reduction. The New York State Department of Health, for example, supports regional lead resource centers in New York City, Syracuse, and Buffalo that work to improve lead testing, education, and prevention activities through partnerships with local medical providers and departments of health (NYS DOH-RLRCs).
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Childhood lead poisoning prevention program provides funding for population-based lead poisoning prevention programs around the country, supporting programs in 29 states, Washington DC and 5 other cities for 3 years as of 2014 (CDC-PPHF lead). The 10 regional offices of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) each have a designated Regional Lead Coordinator who oversees lead-poisoning prevention, training, and enforcement efforts in the region (US EPA-Lead contacts).
Implementation Resources
US EPA-Protect your family - US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA), US Consumer Product Safety Commission, US Department of Housing and Urban Development (US HUD). Protect your family from lead in your home. Washington, DC: US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); 2012.
NCHH-Lead 2014 - National Center for Healthy Housing (NCHH). Preventing lead exposure in US children: A blueprint for action. 2014.
US HUD-Lead 2012 - US Department of Housing and Urban Development (US HUD), Office of Healthy Homes and Lead Hazard Control. Guidelines for the evaluation and control of lead based paint. 2012.
US EPA-LAF - US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA). Locate certified inspection, risk assessment, and lead abatement firms (LAF) for assistance with lead removal.
CDC-Lead facts - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Lead: Facts, tips, tools, training, and resources for childhood lead poisoning prevention.
ME DEH-Lead - Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention Division of Environmental Health (ME DEH). Childhood lead poisoning: Prevention resources and information.
NYS DOH-Lead paint 2013 - New York State Department of Health (NYS DOH). What home owners need to know about removing lead-based paint. 2013.
US EPA-Lead hotline - US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA). Lead hotline: The national lead information center.
EPHDT-WI Lead - Environmental Public Health Data Tracker (EPHDT): Wisconsin Environmental Public Health Tracking Program. Childhood lead poisoning: filterable map of lead poisoning in Wisconsin.
Citations - Evidence
* Journal subscription may be required for access.
Wilson 2006* - Wilson J, Pivetz T, Ashley P et al. Evaluation of HUD-funded lead hazard control treatments at 6 years post-intervention. Environmental Research. 2006;102(2):237-48.
Dixon 2005* - Dixon SL, Wilson JW, Clark CS, et al. Effectiveness of lead-hazard control interventions on dust lead loadings: Findings from the evaluation of the HUD Lead-Based Paint Hazard Control Grant Program. Environmental Research. 2005;98(3):303–14.
Gould 2009 - Gould E. Childhood lead poisoning: Conservative estimates of the social and economic benefits of lead hazard control. Environmental Health Perspectives. 2009;117(7):1162-7.
NCHH-Jacobs 2009 - Jacobs DE, Baeder A. Housing interventions and health: A review of the evidence. Columbia: National Center for Healthy Housing (NCHH); 2009.
Levin 2008 - Levin R, Brown MJ, Kashtock ME, et al. Lead exposures in U.S. children, 2008: Implications for prevention. Environmental Health Perspectives. 2008;116(10):1285-93.
Reed 2011a* - Reed W. Preventing childhood lead poisoning. In: Lemelle AJ, Reed W, Taylor S, eds. Handbook of African American Health: Social and Behavioral Interventions. New York: Springer; 2011:103-11.
Cochrane-Nussbaumer-Streit 2016* - Nussbaumer-Streit B, Yeoh B, Griebler U, et al. Household interventions for preventing domestic lead exposure in children. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2016;(12):CD006047.
White 2015 - White BM, Bonilha HS, Ellis C. Racial/ethnic differences in childhood blood lead levels among children <72 months of age in the United States: A systematic review of the literature. Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities. 2015:1-9.
Campbell 2013a* - Campbell C, Gracely E, Pan S, et al. Public health and law collaboration: The Philadelphia Lead Court study. American Journal of Public Health. 2013;103(7):1271-1277.
Berg 2012* - Berg DR, Eckstein ET, Steiner MS, Gavard JA, Gross GA. Childhood lead poisoning prevention through prenatal housing inspection and remediation in St. Louis, MO. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2012;206(3):199.e1-199.e4.
Jones 2012* - Jones DJ. Primary prevention and health outcomes: Treatment of residential lead-based paint hazards and the prevalence of childhood lead poisoning. Journal of Urban Economics. 2012;71(1):151-164.
Armstrong 2014 - Armstrong R, Anderson L, Synnot A, et al. Evaluation of evidence related to exposure to lead. Canberra: National Health and Medical Research Council; 2014.
Feigenbaum 2015 - Feigenbaum JJ, Muller C. Lead exposure and violent crime in the early twentieth city. Cambridge: Harvard University; 2015.
Vigeh 2014* - Vigeh M, Yokoyama K, Matsukawa T, Shinohara A, Ohtani K. Low level prenatal blood lead adversely affects early childhood mental development. Journal of Child Neurology. 2014;29(10):1305-1311.
Wolpaw Reyes 2015* - Wolpaw Reyes J. Lead exposure and behavior: Effects on antisocial and risky behavior among children and adolescents. Economic Inquiry. 2015;53(3):1580-1605.
NBER-Wolpaw Reyes 2007 - Wolpaw Reyes J. Environmental policy as social policy? The impact of childhood lead exposure on crime. National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER). 2007. Working Paper 13097.
NCHH-Lead 2014 - National Center for Healthy Housing (NCHH). Preventing lead exposure in US children: A blueprint for action. 2014.
Korfmacher 2014 - Korfmacher KS, Malone J, Jacobs D. Local housing policy approaches to preventing childhood lead poisoning. Public Health Law Research: Making the Case for Laws that Improve Health. 2014.
Wilson 2015* - Wilson J, Dixon SL, Jacobs DE, et al. An investigation into porch dust lead levels. Environmental Research. 2015;137:129-135.
Korfmacher 2013* - Korfmacher KS, Hanley ML. Are local laws the key to ending childhood lead poisoning? Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law. 2013;38(4):757-813.
Dixon 2012* - Dixon SL, Jacobs DE, Wilson JW, et al. Window replacement and residential lead paint hazard control 12 years later. Environmental Research. 2012;113:14-20.
Needleman 2002 - Needleman HL, McFarland C, Ness RB, Fienberg SE, Tobin MJ. Bone lead levels in adjudicated delinquents. Neurotoxicology and Teratology. 2002;24(6):711-717.
Wright 2008 - Wright JP, Dietrich KN, Ris MD, et al. Association of prenatal and childhood blood lead concentrations with criminal arrests in early adulthood. PLoS Medicine. 2008;5(5):e101.
Korfmacher 2012 - Korfmacher KS, Ayoob M, Morley R. Rochester’s lead law: Evaluation of a local environmental health policy innovation. Environmental Health Perspectives. 2012;120(2):309-315.
Breysse 2007* - Breysse J, Anderson J, Dixon S, Galke W, Wilson J. Immediate and one-year post-intervention effectiveness of Maryland's lead law treatments. Environmental Research. 2007;105(2):267-275.
Citations - Implementation Examples
* Journal subscription may be required for access.
US EPA-Lead contacts - US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA). Lead: EPA regional lead contacts.
NYS DOH-RLRCs - New York State Department of Health (NYS DOH). Regional Lead Resource Centers (RLRCs) work to improve lead testing, education, and prevention activities through partnerships with local medical providers and departments of health.
CDC-PPHF lead - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Prevention and Public Health Funds (PPHF) 2014: Lead poisoning prevention- Childhood lead poisoning prevention.
Korfmacher 2014 - Korfmacher KS, Malone J, Jacobs D. Local housing policy approaches to preventing childhood lead poisoning. Public Health Law Research: Making the Case for Laws that Improve Health. 2014.
NCSL-Lead hazards 2016 - National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL). Lead hazards project: State efforts to address lead in housing. 2016.
Rochester-Lead paint - City of Rochester, NY. The Rochester lead law: A lead-based paint poisoning prevention ordinance.
Burlington-Lead paint - Burlington, Vermont. Code of Ordinances Chapter 18, Housing Article III, Minimum standards section 18-112: Lead-based paint.
NYC-Lead paint - New York City, NYC.gov. Housing preservation & development: Lead-based paint.
Philadelphia-Lead paint - City of Philadelphia, Public Health. Lead paint disclosure and certification law.
DC-Lead paint - Washington DC, DC.gov, Department of Energy & Environment. All about lead.
Date Last Updated
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