There are many environmental factors that impact the health of your home; some that you control and create and others that are naturally occurring and must be managed. The information and links below can help you identify good resources to create a healthy home where you live!
Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention
No amount of lead is safe for the body. Lead poisoning usually occurs when children breathe in lead-contaminated dust or put lead-containing items in their mouths, such as paint chips from older homes, painted objects, soil, water, toys, jewelry, and other household products marketed to children. Because lead can be found in many environmental and everyday sources, children can be exposed in a variety of ways.
Proteja a su hijo del envenenamiento con plomo
Lead Poisoning Prevention and Control Program
Does your child need to be tested for lead poisoning?
Yes, in Connecticut, Medical Providers are required to provide lead testing at least annually for each child nine to thirty-five months of age. It’s the law! If your child is under six years of age and has not previously been tested, a blood test is also required. If your child is at risk of lead poisoning at other ages, have your child tested at those times too. Blood tests will reveal the amount of lead in your child’s blood at the time of the test. If the level is high, your child will need additional testing.
Safe Renovations for Older Homes
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) provides information on legal requirements for safe lead practices for homeowners, tenants, childcare providers and parents during renovation activities with their downloadable guide.
Lead in Drinking Water
Sometimes older homes or apartments can have lead in the drinking water as a result of corrosion of materials in household water pipes or pipe connections. When water stands in lead pipes or plumbing systems that contain leaded materials for several hours, the lead may dissolve into the drinking water. This means the first water drawn from the tap after sitting for hours could contain elevated levels of lead.
EPA Information On Lead In Drinking Water
If you have questions about childhood lead testing, talk to your child’s pediatrician or call the Eastern Highlands Health District office at
Tel: 860-429-3325.
Radon
The winter months are the perfect time to test for radon in your home. Radon is a colorless, odorless gas that causes lung cancer. Radon levels vary between neighborhoods and even from home to home – only a radon test can determine the risk in your home. The Surgeon General warns that radon gas is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the nation (smoking is the number one cause).
Testing your home is an inexpensive and simple procedure. Test kits can be found at many local retail stores.
Carbon Monoxide
Carbon monoxide is a dangerous, odorless gas that can lead to sudden illness or death. It is generated when carbon-based fuels—including gasoline, propane, natural gas, kerosene, wood, charcoal, and diesel fuel—are not fully burned.
Understanding and Addressing Mold Problems
Molds are a type of fungus that may grow on indoor surfaces, and may look cottony, wooly, smooth, or velvety. The velvety looking surface is actually thousands of microscopic spores. These spores can travel through the air, land somewhere else, and grow new colonies if food, water, and warmth are present.
Molds are everywhere. Most indoor molds come from the outdoors, and are carried inside on our shoes, clothes, through open windows, doors, and mechanical ventilation systems. Every home, office, and school in the country has some mold inside that was carried in from the outdoor environment. When there is a moisture problem in a building such as one caused by a flood, water leak, or very high humidity, the small amount of mold naturally found there may start growing.
In some cases, certain sensitive people may begin developing symptoms when exposed to large amounts of mold. These symptoms may include allergic reactions, asthma episodes, and other respiratory problems. It is important to remember that not all people are susceptible to mold.
Most mold problems in buildings are not emergencies. They can be dealt with using fairly easy techniques. Here are some main points to keep in mind when evaluating a mold problem:
- Find and fix the moisture problem, without water, mold cannot survive.
- All mold growths are potential health hazards and should be removed
- Sampling/testing for mold is expensive and usually not necessary. If you see it, remove it. Clean up the mold using safe procedures
Additional Information
- DPH Mold Fact Sheet
- I Think I Have Mold, Should I Be Concerned?
- Should I Test My Indoor Air?
- Mold Assessment and Clean-up: Helpful Tips for Homeowners and Tenants
- CT Guidelines for Mold Abatement Contractors
- Landlord Checklist for Preventing Mold in Apartments
- Tenant Checklist for Preventing Mold in Apartment
- EPA brief guide to Mold, Moisture & Your Home
Asthma Facts & Resources
What is Asthma?
Learn about the basics of asthma such as signs/symptoms, common triggers, and much more at the CDC link and through the CT Department of Public Health.
Asthma is a lung disease. It can make your airways inflamed, swollen and sensitive. When something irritates your airways they become narrowed and inflamed. Asthma causes recurring periods of coughing, wheezing, chest tightness, shortness of breath, and coughing. The coughing often occurs at night or early in the morning.
According to the CDC, Connecticut was one of 21 states and territories with 10 percent or greater of adults with asthma in 2020 (See: Adult Asthma Data Across States).
Asthma affects people of all ages, but it most often starts during childhood. In the United States, more than 25 million people are known to have asthma. About 7 million of these people are children.
Asthma is fairly prevalent in our community, and chances are good that asthma affects someone you know. The Connecticut Department of Public Health reports that:
- In 2021, 61,200 (8.9%) children and 300,900 (10.5%) adults had asthma.
- Asthma is the single most avoidable cause of hospitalization, yet it is consistently one of the most common admitting diagnoses in pediatrics.
- In 2021, Connecticut incurred $86,155,820 million acute care charges due to asthma as a primary diagnosis. Of that amount, $44.5 million were for hospitalizations and $41.6 million were for emergency department (ED) visits (charge data are lower due to the COVID-19 pandemic).
- Of the $86.1million, $ 66.3 million (77%) were charged to public funds (Medicaid and Medicare).
Connecticut Department of Public Health Resources
- What is Asthma? Learn about the basics of asthma such as signs/symptoms, common triggers, and much more
- Asthma Action Plans: It is important to have an asthma action plan, this link provides a printable Asthma Action Plan (AAP)
- Educational Materials: Resources to educate those with asthma, their parents, or caregivers
- Healthcare Resources: Learn how you can get insurance and which companies offer patient assistance programs to get medication
- Healthy Homes Initiative and other resources to learn how you can maintain a clean and healthy home
- Programs and initiatives for schools, resources to managing asthma in school-aged children, asthma reporting forms, and links to additional resources
- Statewide Asthma Partnership: links to resources about policies and advocacy organizations as well as read the statewide asthma plan
Green Cleaning. A Safer Choice
There are many reasons to use ‘green’ cleaning products; they are safer for homes with children, have a lower impact on individuals with asthma or other breathing problems, are safe for septic systems and are economical. Some of the best cleaning products for most common household jobs can be found in your kitchen cabinets! Vinegar and baking soda are versatile ingredients for cooking and cleaning. Consider using non-toxic products whenever possible, but remember that green products are more than just those with ‘natural’ ingredients. Many common household cleaners contain chemicals (many are ‘natural’) that are toxic to both the environment and to you and your family (when you pour them down the drain or dispose of them in the trash).