Resources About Health and Lead
The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) provides information about where lead hazards can be found in the home and preventing exposure to lead hazards, especially during renovations. HUD also has some information on how lead gets into the body, the effects of lead exposure on people, and blood lead testing.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has a lot of information about sources of lead, lead hazards in and around the home, and how lead exposures can affect people. It also has some information on preventing lead poisoning.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) works to prevent childhood lead poisoning by working with state and local childhood lead poisoning prevention programs to make sure children get tested for lead and children with high blood lead levels get the follow-up care they need.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) works to save lives and keep families safe by reducing the risk of injuries and deaths from all the different things people buy (consumer products). The CPSC has a hotline that people can use to get information on lead in consumer products, report an unsafe consumer product or an injury from a consumer product. The telephone number is 800-638-2772.
The Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program has information for families, tenants, property owners, and healthcare providers. They have information about lead hazards in and around homes, how children get exposed to lead, the effects of lead exposure on children, blood lead testing for children, simple ways to reduce the risk of lead poisoning, lead inspections, and lead hazard control. The CDPH Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program can be reached for general questions at 312-747-LEAD (5323).
Many CDPH clinics offer blood lead testing, treatment, and other services to children with elevated blood levels (EBLLs). A list of clinics can be found online at the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) website. Some of the clinics also list the services they offer.
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) has information about lead hazards in and around homes, how children get exposed to lead, how to tell if a child has lead poisoning, the effects of lead exposure on children, blood lead testing for children, treatment of lead poisoning, simple ways to reduce the risk of lead poisoning, lead inspections, and lead hazard control. They can be reached at:
Illinois Department of Public Health
535 West Jefferson Street
Springfield, IL 62761
Telephone: 217-785-9464
TTY: 800-547-0466 (for hearing impaired use only)
For more resources visit the"Publications & Links" section of this website.