Cortland County has a lead-poisoning rate nearly four times higher than the rest of the state, the county Health Department announced Thursday as it released its 2023 Cortland County Childhood Lead Poisoning Needs Assessment.
The report, based on local data, states that lead paint in the home is the No. 1 risk factor for lead poisoning, and 94% of children with high blood lead levels spent significant time in a home with lead paint. Its study found that 39 children per 1,000 under 6 who were tested had high lead levels in the blood, compared to 10.4 per 1,000 for the entire state.
“Cortland County Health Department’s current lead poisoning prevention program is funded for education and to address lead poisoning after a child is already poisoned with lead,” Public Health Director Nicole Anjeski said in a news release. “This assessment serves as a call to action to stakeholders to consider ways our community can work to address lead poisoning before it occurs.”
The national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that lead poisoning in children can lead to:
• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, delayed learning and lower IQ.
• Hypertension.
• Renal affects.
• Reproductive problems.
• Developmental problems with their children.
Much of the lead, the county reports, stems from older housing. An environmental assessment found that 91% of homes with lead paint were built before 1930; 59% of homes with lead paint were rentals.
Cortland County has an older housing stock. U.S. Census data show 73.5% of its homers were built before 1979 and 36.7% were built before 1939. The federal government banned lead-based paints in 1978,
A summary report the county issued lists several things people can do, depending on who they are:
•Landlords must disclose lead-based paint hazards to renters of housing built before 1978. They should ensure renovations or repairs are done by a federal Environmental Protection Agency-certified contractor.
•Healthcare providers can guide parents as part of routine care, and test all children for lead at ages 1 and 2.
•Caregivers who have a home built before 1978 can keep children away from peeling paint, plaster or remodeling projects. If they don’t know how old the home is, find out. And make sure their children are tested for lead exposure.
•Community leaders can advocate for more funding to prevent lead poisoning, rather than respond to it.
The Health Department will create a social media campaign based on the input from a Photovoice project it conducted, interviewing Cortland County residents, Anjeski said.
“You went to the doctor and your kid had a high lead level,” one participant said. “Then what happens after that? You need to repaint. ... That’s a lot of money, and that wouldn’t be anywhere near the budget for my household.”
