Lead poisoning is a serious but preventable health issue. Dust from lead-based paint is the major source of lead poisoning among children. Children have the highest risk for lead poisoning, especially children under 6 years old, from low-income families, living in older homes (built before 1978) or those who are immigrants or refugees.
Vermont now defines an elevated blood lead level as any reported level. There is no safe level of lead in the body.
Lead was banned from house paint in 1978. About 60% of Vermont homes were built before 1978 and likely contain lead-based paint.
The reports below are interactive, which means you can:
Lead is a highly toxic metal that has been commonly used in many household, industrial and automobile products — such as paint, solder, batteries, brass, car radiators, bullets, pottery, etc. Lead poisoning is a serious but preventable health problem. Too much lead in the body can cause serious and permanent health problems. Children and people who are pregnant are at special risk.
The only way to find out if a child has been exposed to too much lead is by a blood test. A blood test measures the amount of lead in blood. Blood tests are commonly used to screen children for lead poisoning and can easily be done at a child's regular checkup. Vermont law requires that all children be tested at ages 1 and 2.
To prevent lead poisoning:
If you rent a home built before 1978, your landlord must look for chipping and peeling paint and fix it using lead-safe practices. If you own a home built before 1978, make sure you use lead-safe practices when you are renovating or hire a licensed Renovation, Repair, Painting and Maintenance (RRPM) contractor.
Vermont Tracking provides the following data for children ages 1 and 2:
The most common way that children get lead poisoning in Vermont is from lead-based paint and dust in older homes. Vermont Tracking provides the percentage of homes built before 1950 at the county and town levels.
Children who live in poverty are considered to be a population at higher risk for lead poisoning. Vermont Tracking provides data on the percentage of children younger than 5 years who are living in poverty at the county level.
