Feature
by the San Francisco Department of Public Health
A mother of a three-year-old child recently called the Department of Public Health's Childhood Lead Prevention Program and related the following story: "Our family lives in an apartment built before 1979. The paint around our windows is chipping. My child likes to put his hands on the windowsill when looking outside. Recently, I noticed that he looks pale and has difficulty concentrating. I am afraid that my child might have lead poisoning."
"I immediately called my landlord and asked him to fix the windows,” she continued. “He refused at first, but he finally came to my apartment, and without saying a word to me he started scraping the peeling paint off the windowsill. He did not cover my furniture when he did the work, and now my house is a big mess. Paint chips and dust are everywhere."
Fact: Lead is a poison that can especially harm the developing brain and nervous system of fetuses and children. Lead poisoning can permanently affect a child's ability to learn, hear and grow to his/her full potential.
Lead content was common in paint before it was banned in 1979. In San Francisco, about 90% of houses built before 1979 may contain lead-based paint. Most childhood lead-poisoning cases can be attributed to poor housing conditions in which there is a great deal of deferred maintenance, or to improper work practices in disturbing or removing paint. Dust, soil and water may also be contaminated with lead.
Through free, lead-hazard remediation services offered by the Mayor's Office of Housing (MOH), as well as education and code enforcement programs of DPH and the Department of Building Inspection (DBI), residents of San Francisco can have lead-safe homes and childcare centers.
MOH's Lead Program provides free lead-hazard remediation services and support for property owners—if owners or tenants are low- to moderate-income, and the latter have children six years of age or younger. For more information call 415-252-3207.
DPH's Childhood Lead Prevention Program provides lead- poisoning-prevention health education and outreach to increase public awareness. It also regulates conditions that cause lead- hazard exposure to children, according to Health Code (Article 11), in which property owners of pre-1979 dwellings are required to eliminate lead hazards found in paint, dust, soil and water. In addition, the program offers education and other services to families with children who have elevated blood-lead levels, along with an investigation of locations where these children spend time. For more information call 415-554-8930.
DBI's Lead Abatement Section regulates paint-disturbing work to prevent the public from being exposed to lead-based paint debris. The San Francisco Building Code (Section 3407) requires containment and barrier systems if a project involves disturbing or removing paint on the exterior of a pre-1979 building or the interior of pre-1979 childcare or residential-rental building. In addition, there are prohibited work practices, as well as required performance standards and notifications. A penalty and fee may be assessed for noncompliance. For more information call 415-558-6598.
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the viewpoint of the SFAA or the SF Apartment Magazine. The Childhood Lead Prevention Program can be reached at 415-554-8930, or www.dph.sf.ca.us/cehp. Copyright © 2005.