GRAND RAPIDS – A coalition of 24 community organizations presented a position paper to the Grand Rapids City Commission on September 27 calling for cooperation to address growing housing concerns as a result of the recent changes in the real estate market.
A new report prepared by the Michigan Network for Children's Environmental Health, of which the Healthy Homes Coalition is a member, reports estimates the annual environmentally attributable costs of lead poisoning at $3.2 - $4.85 billion for Michigan residents.
Beginning April 22, all renovators, remodelers and painters working in pre-1978 housing are now required to be an EPA-certified renovator trained in lead safe work practices. This requirement applies to all renovation projects, not just lead abatement. Effected trades include remodelers, renovators, window replacement workers, painters, electricians, plumbers, and any other trades that disturb painted surfaces during the course of their work. Landlords who make repairs themselves are also required to have this certification.
The Healthy Homes Coalition will be hosting their Annual Meeting 4:30pm Thursday, August 5.
Get the Lead Out! and Healthy Homes are the cover story for the MiBiz Sustainability Report for this quarter.
National and Local Experts Urge Lead Poisoning Testing For Children.
50% of children in Grand Rapids are not being tested for lead poisoning at the critical ages of 1 and 2.
GRAND RAPIDS – The Grand Rapids Get The Lead Out! campaign has been successful on many fronts. The number of homes having lead based paint abated is increasing. Yet an alarming number of children are not being tested for lead poisoning at the critical ages of 1 and 2.
“In children, lead can cause nervous system and kidney damage, learning disabilities, speech, language problems, decreased muscle and bone growth and hearing damage,” said Joan Dyer-Zykowski, Kent County Health Department Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program Manager. "The majority of children lead poisoned in Grand Rapids are between one and two years old."
The City of Grand Rapids Get the Lead Out! program is offering free lead training for professionals seeking to enter the lead hazard control, abatement and assessment fields. This is an opportunity for small business owners from the affected communities to receive free training to make them eligible for lead hazard control work funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
The Healthy Homes Coalition is partnering with Home Repair Services to provide a Lead Safe Painting and Home Repair workshop for do-it-yourself home owners interested in making home repairs in a lead-safe fashion.
The Detroit Free Press published an indepth article on Sunday, May 16 that looks at the link between lead and learning. The article features a look at children's blood lead levels relative to their performance on MEAP scores later in life.
The US-EPA has launched a portal on its website where homeowners can find contractors who have been trained and certified in how to safely make repairs so that children are not exposed to lead hazards. The searchable database can be accessed by clicking here.
Reminder: For nine out of ten lead-poisoned children in Kent County, the primary source of lead poisoning is lead-based paint and residual lead dust in the home. As dramatic as the toy recalls are, the risk caused by lead-based paint and lead contaminated soil in and around older housing is far greater.
During the past year, many products made for children - toys, jewelry, clothing, lunch boxes and more - have been found to contain lead. Many of these products are imported and are finding their way from store shelves to children's homes. While the Consumer Product Safety Commission issues recalls for these products as soon as they are identified, it is estimated that fewer than 20% of recalled items are actually returned.
It's more than just toys. Recalled items also include jewelry, clothing, and children's items like lunch boxes and furniture.
Review Your Toys and Children's Products for Recalls using these resources:
- Consumer Product Safety Commission website for recalls of toys and other children's products.
- A list children's toys and jewelry recalled due to lead that is regularly updated by HealthPlus of Michigan.
- 2010 Recalls
- 2009 Recalls (390 KB PDF)
- 2008 Recalls (483 KB PDF)
- 2007 Recalls (343 KB PDF)
- Toy Safety Resources from the The American Academy of Pediatrics is an excellent page that provides various lists of recalled toys, frequently asked questions and answers, and other safety tips.
- KidsGrowth.com has an excellent list of toys and products with photos.
- The Michigan Department of Community Health has pictures of recalled toys on its website. Click on the "Announcements" link on the left.
Some Sensible Thoughts About Screening and Testing Toys and Children's Products
The Healthy Homes Coalition promotes the use of the highest standards in testing children's toys and products. While parents may find toy screening by XRF or other methods helpful, the best standard for product testing is analysis in the lab. For more information on what is involved in testing toys and other children's products, see these excellent resources from the National Center for Healthy Housing.
Factsheet: Toys and Childhood Lead Exposure. What to do about all those toy recalls? While the Healthy Homes Coalition always recommends fixing lead-based paint hazards first, parents who want to learn more about checking their children's toys can use this handy fact sheet courtesy of the National Center for Healthy Housing (205 KB PDF).
Factsheet: Testing for Lead in Children's Toys. Lots of parents are asking about how to check their children's toys for lead. The answers are not easy. See this concise fact sheet courtesy of the National Center for Healthy Housing (220 KB PDF).
Other Non-Paint Sources of Lead
Environmental Sources
Ceramicware or Pottery
Lead crystal
Lead-soldered cans (imported)
Lead paint
Lead-painted homes
Renovating or remodeling older homes
Burning lead-painted wood
Use of water from lead pipes
Living near lead-related industries
Soil or dust near industries and roadways
Sources From Hobbies
Car or boat repair
Casting lead figures (toy soldiers, etc.)
Painting
Furniture refinishing
Jewelry and pottery making
Stained glass making
Lead soldering (e.g., electronics)
Making lead shot, fishing sinkers, bullets
Target shooting at firing ranges
Occupational Sources (Adults working in these industries can bring lead dust into your home).
Auto Repair
Radiator repair
Battery manufacturing or repair
Bridge reconstruction worker
Construction worker
Plumber, pipe fitter
Police officer
Migrant farm worker
Printing
Glass manufacturing
Brass, copper & aluminum processing
Chemical manufacturing
Plastics manufacturing
Rubber products manufacturing
Steel welding and cuttingIndustrial machine operator
Other Sources
Asian cosmetics - Kohl
Home remedies - Albayalde, Alkohl, Ayurvedoc, Azarcon (also called Alarcon, Coral, luiga, maria luisa and rueda), Ba Bow Sen, Bali Goli, Cebagin, Cordyceps, Ghasard, Greta, Hai ge fen, Kandu Kushta, Mai gen fen, Pay-loo-ah, Poying tan, X-yoo-FaFood additives - Lozeena
A Caution About the Most Frequent Source of Lead Poisoning.
For nine out of ten lead-poisoned children in Kent County, the primary source of lead poisoning is lead-based paint and residual lead dust in the home. As dramatic as the toy recalls are, the risk caused by lead-based paint and lead contaminated soil in and around older housing is far greater.
For more information on reducing lead-based paint hazards in the home, contact the Healthy Homes Coalition at (616) 241-3300.
Making sure children grow up in homes that are healthy and safe is everyone’s job! The Healthy Homes Coalition is a tax-exempt, 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Learn more about specific ways you can help protect children. Connect with us today!
742 Franklin St. SE // Grand Rapids, MI 49507 // 616.241.3300 p // 616.241.3327 f // info@healthyhomescoalition.org
Special thanks to the Dyer-Ives Foundation for their generous support of this website. © 2006-2010 Healthy Homes Coalition.
