Evaluation of the HUD Lead Hazard Control grant program: Early overall findings

This study evaluates the effectiveness of lead hazard control methods used in the Lead Hazard Control (LHC) grant program of U.S. Department of Dousin g and Urban Development. The LHC Program awards funds to local jurisdiction s to address lead hazards in privately owned, low-income dwellings. Grantee s in 14 cities, states, or counties collected environmental data in over 26 00-treated dwellings making this the largest study of residential lead haza rd control ever undertaken. Grantees employed a range of treatments, the mo st common being replacement of windows and repair of deteriorated lead-base d paint, Tn this paper, dust lead loading levels and blood lead levels of c hildren (6 months-6 years, if present) were observed at four periods of tim e (preintervention, immediate, and 6- and la-months postintervention) in 12 12 dwellings. Dust lead loading levels were also observed in a subset of th ese dwellings at 24- and 36-months postintervention. The geometric mean flo or and window dust lead loadings declined at least 50 and 88% (P < 0.0001), respectively, immediately postintervention. Three years later, floor dust lead loadings remained at or below the immediate postintervention levels. W indow dust lead loadings had moderate increases, but remained substantially reduced from preintervention levels and below clearance standards. At 1 ye ar after intervention, geometric mean age-adjusted blood lead levels had de clined from 11.0 to 8.2 mug/dL, a 26% decline (P < 0.0001). The LHC Program interventions produced blood lead declines similar to or greater than the percentage changes reported in earlier 1-year lead intervention studies. (C ) 2001 Academic Press.