The study is intended to design and implement cost-effective lead abatement strategies, interim lead hazard controls, professional home cleaning, and tailored health education for selected residences in St. Francois and Jasper counties, Missouri near designated lead waste Superfund areas.

The primary goals of the project include:

Reducing blood lead levels of children in the project areas through abatement, hazard control, and health education; and, developing an adaptable and reproducible model that can be used in other communities throughout the country.

Eligible residences must have a child six months to six years of age with a blood lead level of 10 m g/dl or higher. The study involves assessment teams performing an environmental lead assessment of the child's home, administering a questionnaire, and collecting blood samples. The team is also responsible for conducting one-on-one lead health education and overseeing the abatement and cleaning activities. The questionnaire is used to determine environmental, demographic, socio-cultural, behavioral, and economic variables that are possible related to the risk of exposure to lead. This information is used to develop seven tailored newsletters and an individualized lead risk assessment letters for each home. Depending on the child's blood lead level and the results of the environmental assessment, various combinations of abatement, cleaning, and education are conducted. The teams then make quarterly follow-up visits to re-administer the questionnaire, collect a blood lead sample, and do wipe samples for lead to confirm effectiveness of the multi-level intervention strategy. The follow-up visits continue until the participant child has a blood lead level less than 10 m g/dl for two consecutive quarters.