NEW RESULTS IN LEAD POISONING PREVENTION: Windows, porches and dust lead standards

Jonathan Wilson, Deputy Director David Jacobs, Director of Research

National Center for Healthy Housingwww.nchh.org

Porch Options to Restore Children’s HealthThe PORCH Study

Jonathan Wilson, Sherry Dixon, David Jacobs, Judith Akoto, Katrina Korfmacher, and Jill Breysse

Background

No standards exist for exterior PbD EPA cited a lack of data for not proposing a

standard

Previous studies have documented high porch dust lead levels (PbD):

Rochester (1992)92 µg/ft2 homes with EBLs48 µg/ft2 homes without EBLs

Milwaukee (2002)77 µg/ft2 by porch railing59 µg/ft2 by front steps2.5 times the avg. interior floor PbD

• HUD OHHLHC

FUNDER:

• National Center for Healthy Housing

PRIME RESEARCHER:

• 12/2008 – 12/2012

PROJECT PERIOD:

• Rochester, NY

LOCATION:

• City of Rochester• University of Rochester• Action for a Better Community

(CAA)

PARTNERS:

PORCH Study

Objectives Analyze existing dust and blood

data from 125 homes in the Rochester Lead in Dust study (1992) to consider exterior dust lead standard

Quantify dust lead levels on porches of units undergoing lead hazard control and determine likely sources of the dust lead

Investigate the feasibility of maintaining reductions in dust lead loadings for up to a year following lead hazard control

Blood Lead Analysis Child blood lead levels predicted by:

Exterior deterioration (roof, walls/siding, windows/doors, or foundation)

Interior floor PbD Porch floor PbD Window sill PbD if children put their mouths on

the sill Presence of a neighborhood lead point source Sill surface condition

Attempts to define a specific porch dust lead standard were inconclusive

Data Collected Out of 102 dwellings enrolled in Rochester LHC

program with porches, 79 dwellings were treated and tested at baseline, post-work and one-year post-work Visual condition of exterior paint Porch dust lead (by steps, door, and railing) Type and condition of porch floor surface Soil lead Soil coverage Presence of local point sources Weather conditions

Baseline Results• 68 µg/ft2 (Steps and Entry: 47

µg/ft2; Railing: 86 µg/ft2)Porch Floor

PbD• 58% painted wood (92% had

LBP)Surface Type:

• 76% Fair Surface Condition:

• 82% dwellings; 1,004 ppm* Foundation Bare Soil:

• 18 µg/ft2Interior Floor PbD:

Predictive Factors of Porch PbD Sample location – Railings are higher Surface condition Climatic conditions (lower PbD if unpainted and

wet) Floor paint lead level Condition of other porch surfaces

Not significant: Soil, exterior condition, cleanliness, season

Neighborhood point sources significant post-work

Effects of Exterior Lead Hazard Control

Porch Floor Treatment (n)

Baseline (µg/ft2)

Post-Work

(µg/ft2)

One-Year

(µg/ft2)

Remove/Replace (45)

91 41** 21**

None (27) 36 71** 42Paint Stabilization (7)

119 56** 33**

All (79) 68 51 28**

**p<0.05 compared to baseline

Predicted One-Year Effects by Baseline PbD

0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 1800

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Treatment EFFECT at ONE-YEARUnpainted floor

None Paint Stab Replaced

BASELINE PbD

ON

E-YE

AR P

bD

Key Findings

Porches are an exposure source that must be consideredPorch PbD is correlated with interior PbDWhen porches are not treated, PbD levels rise post-work but later declineWhen porches are replaced, PbD levels decline post-work and continue to decline through 1-yearSoil lead was not an influential factor in this study, but was in prior studies

Recommendations Clearance testing on porches should be

required post-work Further studies are needed to identify a risk

standard In the interim, a clearance level of 40 µg/ft2 is

feasible Any standard must specify the location to

sample Porch dust lead is strongly related to the paint

and conditions on the porch Exterior point sources can affect porch dust

lead levels but they are not as influential as paint on the porch; property owners can take action that will protect children in residence

Acknowledgements

Conrad Floss ~ City of Rochester Steven Turner & Chanel Hernandez

~ ABC Gene Pinzer ~ HUD 

National Center for Healthy Housingwww.nchh.org

@nchh

Facebook.com/HealthyHousing

Jonathan Wilson, MPPDeputy Directorjwilson@nchh.org

Dave Jacobs, PhD, CIHDirector of Researchdjacobs@nchh.org