Public Health Lead Services
Preventing Exposure to Lead Hazards
- We provide education and information on the hazards of lead and ways to minimize or eliminate these hazards.
- Our laboratory tests water and paint or varnish samples for lead.
- We enforce the City of Madison lead ordinance, Madison General Ordinance 7.49, to ensure that property owners and contractors follow safe work practices when painting or remodeling older housing.
- We monitor for the lead prevalence in the community and provide recommendations to prevent lead poisoning.
Supporting Screening of Children for Lead Poisoning
- We assist families with lead screening for children ages 9 months to 6 years who are unable to be screened by a private medical provider.
- We provide education and consultation to medical providers about the risk for lead poisoning, and the current guidelines for screening and treatment of children for lead exposure and poisoning.
Assisting Families When a Child is Lead Poisoned
A child is considered lead poisoned if they have a blood lead level of 5 µg/dL (microgram of lead per deciliter of blood) or greater. Depending on a child's blood lead level, we provide a range of services to families with lead poisoned children. Services are:
- A lead risk assessment of the child's primary residence and risk assessment of other properties as appropriate.
- Consultation on managing lead hazards in the home.
- Public health nurse case management to assess child development and assure appropriate medical care.