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Lead Poisoning Prevention Health Fair for North Philadelphia Families

Release Date: 10/19/2005
Contact Information: David Sternberg, (215) 814-5548

David Sternberg, (215) 814-5548

PHILADELPHIA – The week of October 23-29 is National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week. Lead poisoning is a debilitating disease but it is preventable!

On Tuesday, October 25, 2005, the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the National Nursing Centers Consortium, the Temple Health Connection, and the City of Philadelphia Lead Poisoning Prevention Program will sponsor a Health Fair from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Norris Homes Community Center, located at 1915 N. 11th Street (11th and Berks Street) in North Philadelphia.

Representatives from the healthcare agencies will be available to answer questions about lead hazards and to provide information about lead poisoning prevention. In addition, free blood lead testing will be conducted for children under the age of six.

Because lead is still prevalent in older housing built before 1978, it poses health risks especially to pregnant women and children. Ingesting lead dust can cause severe mental developmental and behavioral problems including lowered intelligence in children. Children are easily exposed to lead because they play on the floor or ground and put things in their mouths, swallowing or inhaling lead dust.

For more information about lead poisoning prevention, call the National Lead Hotline at 1-800-424-LEAD or visit https://www.epa.gov/lead.