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For the first time ever in the United States, real estate agents, brokers and other real estate professionals convened for an all-day seminar on the environmental hazards of home buying. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the School of Public Health co-sponsored the event, along with the American Lung Association, the Illinois Association of Realtors and the Belleville Association of Realtors. The workshop was aimed at any professional interested in selling, buying or maintaining properties. Environ-mental risks discussed included lead, asbestos, radon, dioxin and indoor air quality.
"This is critical information in regard to public and personal health," said Chris King, program manager of the Center for Environmental Education and Training at the School of Public Health. "We want real estate professionals to be well-informed on these issues so they can properly advise their clients."
Researchers say that for too many years there has been a lack of awareness or only superficial knowledge about the environmental hazards that come up in residential housing. This seminar made professionals aware of the public health effects and personal health effects of exposure to these hazards. It also helped agents identify or recognize potential sources of likely environmental hazards.
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