Lead poisoning in Philly kids has declined, new data show. Families still may need to take safety precautions.
A new city dashboard shows progress, and unfinished work, addressing lead contamination in the city.
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Unless they’ve been remediated, the majority of Philadelphia homes built in the 1970s or earlier have lead paint and lead pipes in them. Water from pipes that have sat unused can have lead in it, and chipping or peeling paint is a hazard.
Philadelphia has seen improvement in the rates of children with poisoning since 2011, when the city mandated inspections of rental properties where children under 6 years old live. Since 2019, Philadelphia has been expanding the requirement and it took effect as of this year for all rental units.
» READ MORE: With new standards, more children considered at risk from lead in Philadelphia
Here’s what to know about lead poisoning and how to avoid it:
Which neighborhoods report the most children with elevated lead levels
Children living in the following ZIP codes in West and North Philadelphia have the highest risk of lead poisoning: 19143, 19139, 19131, 19121, 19132, 19133, 19140, 19144, and 19141, according to a new online dashboard created by the Philadelphia Department of Public Health to track the city’s progress in combating the hazard. Black children are the most at risk for lead poisoning in the city, the dashboard showed.
By comparison, 6% of 3-year-olds across Philadelphia reported elevated lead levels last year, down from 19% a decade earlier.
What can I do around the house to reduce risk?
Sweep and vacuum floors daily, and wipe them, along with play areas or windowsills, with a wet cloth or paper towel weekly.
Don’t allow children near peeling paint or housework that disturbs paint, and they should not consume it.
Clean toys, pacifiers, and hands before a child eats or naps.
Foods high in calcium, iron, and vitamin C can help reduce the amount of lead children’s bodies absorb. Dairy, green leafy vegetables, red meats, peanut butter, oranges, and peppers can all provide nutrients that can keep children healthy. Wash fruits and vegetables before eating them.
Cook with cold water, which can flush lead deposits out of pipes.
Don’t bring work clothes home, or change before touching your child, if you have a job that requires working with paint, machines, building construction materials, or soil.
What about lead in drinking water?
Lead can be present in older pipes, so if you haven’t used water in your home for six hours or longer, run cold water through any faucets you might drink from for three minutes to flush out lead deposits.
Marilyn Howarth, a doctor and deputy director of the Philadelphia Regional Center for Children’s Environmental Health, recommended running water one minute for every 50 feet of distance between a home and the nearest water main, which usually aligns with the middle of the street. She suggests doing this every morning.
Local or state water authorities provide lists of certified laboratories that conduct tests for lead in water. It’s also easy to determine whether a home’s water pipes are lead. If the pipes that feed faucets and sinks are silver in color but a magnet won’t stick to them, they are lead, Howarth said.
What responsibilities do landlords have?
Every rental property in the city must be certified as lead-safe or lead-free. Landlords should quickly repair chipped or peeling paint, and home repairs need to be done safely, without such work as sanding or scraping paint stirring up lead dust.
A property owner is required to hire a firm certified by the Environmental Protection Agency to address a health department test that finds unsafe levels of lead.
Violations can be reported to the Department of Licenses and Inspections by calling 311. The city may refer landlords who fail to address hazardous levels of lead to Lead Court.