- 3.1: Health and Housing
- 3.2: Building, Maintenance and Renovation
- 3.3: Home Hazards
- 3.4: Integrated Pest Management
- 3.5: Training
- 3.5: Research
- 3.6: Program Links
Our mission:
To reduce the impact of asthma across New England, through collaborations of health, housing, education, and environmental organizations with particular focus on the contribution of schools, homes, and communities to the disease and with attention to its disproportionate impact on populations at greatest risk.
Lead
Exposure to lead is a serious hazard to children age six and under. It is also a concern for pregnant women because lead can effect the unborn child. Lead poisoning can result in developmental delays such as learning and IQ deficits, behavioral problems, brain, liver and kidney damage.
There are several potential sources of lead exposure in homes including interior lead-based paint (pre-1978 housing) which can chip and be in household dust. Exterior paint can also chip and be in soil around the exterior of the home, and be tracked indoors. Lead in pipes and soder can contaminate drinking water. Lead can also be in toys and hobby supplies such as paint for pottery or soder for stained glass. The wires for computers and electronics as well as holiday lights can also contain a lead coating that can rub off onto hands. For important information on reducing and eliminating exposure to lead sources, see the following resources.
Resources
EPA Resources on Lead
For information about where lead is found, the health effects, how to protect your family and other resources.
National Lead Hotline - 1(800) 424-LEAD [5323].The National Lead Information Center (NLIC) provides the general public and professionals with information about lead hazards and their prevention.
Lead in Drinking Water (CDC)
On October 12, 2011 ARC and close to 50 co-signers submitted testimony requesting that the Institute of Medicine examine and address the non-clinical best practice components of comprehensive asthma management as part of Community Based
Non-Clinical Prevention Policies and Wellness Strategies.
Over 50 organizations and individuals joined ARC and Health Resources in Action in expressing to New England U.S. Senator4s our extreme concern about the proposed complete elimination of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Healthy Homes and Lead Poisoning Prevention Program by the Senate Appropriations Committee in the proposed FY12 spending bill for Labor, Health and Human Services and Education.