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

1. 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 Housing www.nchh.org

2. Porch Options to Restore Children’s Health • The PORCH Study • Jonathan Wilson, Sherry Dixon, David Jacobs, Judith Akoto, Katrina Korfmacher, and Jill Breysse

3. Previous studies have documented high porch dust lead levels (PbD): Background • Rochester (1992) • 92 µg/ft2 homes with EBLs • 48 µg/ft2 homes without EBLs • Milwaukee (2002) • 77 µg/ft2 by porch railing • 59 µg/ft2 by front steps • 2.5 times the avg. interior floor PbD • No standards exist for exterior PbD • EPA cited a lack of data for not proposing a standard

4. PORCH Study

5. 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

6. Blood Lead Analysis • Child bloodlead 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

8. 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

9. Baseline Results

10. 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

11. Effects of Exterior Lead Hazard Control **p<0.05 compared to baseline

12. Predicted One-Year Effects by Baseline PbD

13. Key Findings • Porches are an exposure source that must be considered • Porch PbD is correlated with interior PbD • When porches are not treated, PbD levels rise post-work but later decline • When porches are replaced, PbD levels decline post-work and continue to decline through 1-year • Soil lead was not an influential factor in this study, but was in prior studies

14. 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

15. Acknowledgements • Conrad Floss ~ City of Rochester • Steven Turner & Chanel Hernandez ~ ABC • Gene Pinzer~ HUD

16. National Center for Healthy Housing www.nchh.org @nchh • Facebook.com/HealthyHousing Jonathan Wilson, MPP Deputy Director jwilson@nchh.org Dave Jacobs, PhD, CIH Director of Research djacobs@nchh.org