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Lead, Allergen, and Pesticide Levels in Licensed Child Care Centers in the United States
Citation:
Viet, S., J. Rogers, D. Marker, A. Fraser, W. Friedman, D. Jacobs, J. Zhou, AND N. Tulve. Lead, Allergen, and Pesticide Levels in Licensed Child Care Centers in the United States. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH. National Environmental Health Association, Denver, CO, 76(5):8-14, (2013).
Impact/Purpose:
The National Exposure Research Laboratory′s (NERL′s) Human Exposure and Atmospheric Sciences Division (HEASD) conducts research in support of EPA′s mission to protect human health and the environment. HEASD′s research program supports Goal 1 (Clean Air) and Goal 4 (Healthy People) of EPA′s strategic plan. More specifically, our division conducts research to characterize the movement of pollutants from the source to contact with humans. Our multidisciplinary research program produces Methods, Measurements, and Models to identify relationships between and characterize processes that link source emissions, environmental concentrations, human exposures, and target-tissue dose. The impact of these tools is improved regulatory programs and policies for EPA.
Description:
The First National Environmental Health Survey of Child Care Centers was conducted to provide information about lead, allergens, and pesticide levels in licensed U.S. child care centers. Lead levels were measured in settled dust, paint, and play area soil; indoor allergen levels in settled dust; and pesticide residues on indoor surfaces and in play area soil. Fourteen percent of centers had significant lead hazards, suggesting that an estimated 470,000 children under age 6 years (approximately 10% of all children in licensed centers) attend centers with significant lead hazards. Approximately 5% of centers had levels of allergens associated with asthma and allergic conditions. Three-quarters of centers had pesticides applied (either indoors or outdoors) during the previous year. Although most centers did not appear to present risks from lead and allergens, some centers did have unsafe levels of these contaminants. These conclusions cannot be generalized to unlicensed child care arrangements.
URLs/Downloads:
CCC FINAL FINAL _PAPER_FOR_JEH_10022012.PDF (PDF, NA pp, 105.221 KB, about PDF)Journal of Environmental Health
