Vienna Health Officer - Prevention of Lead Poisoning and Testing for Lead Dust

Prevention of Lead Poisoning and Testing for Lead Dust

Beth Tréhu, MD, Local Health Officer for Mount Vernon and Vienna

Dec 23, 2025

At a recent Muffin Morning, I was asked about how to know if children in a home are at risk for lead poisoning.  Here is some helpful information from the Maine CDC.

Free Lead Dust Tests

If you live in a home that was built before 1950 and you have young children or grandchildren or children on the way, Maine CDC offers free home lead dust test kits. Order a free home lead dust test kit. Watch our video to see how to do the test.

Preventing Lead Poisoning

Growing up in a healthy home is an important part of your child’s development. Test your child and your home for lead to prevent lead poisoning. A tiny amount of lead dust can harm a young child. Children are more likely to be harmed by lead because their bodies and brains are still growing. Lead can cause behavior problems, learning disabilities, hearing damage, speech delays, and lower intelligence. Most young children with lead poisoning do not look or act sick. The only way to tell for sure if your child has lead poisoning is to have their blood tested. Talk to your child’s doctor about a blood lead test for your child. Maine requires all children be tested at 1 and 2 years of age.

Home and Property Owners

Dust from lead paint is the most common cause of lead poisoning in Maine. Lead dust falls on the floors where children crawl and play with toys. Children often put their hands and toys into their mouths. This makes it very easy for lead dust to get into and damage their growing bodies. If your home was built before 1950 it is very likely that it contains lead paint. Any building built before 1978 may have lead paint. Learn more about protecting your child from lead in your home (PDF).

Renovate, Repair or Paint Your Home

Any renovation, repair, or painting (RRP) project in a pre-1978 home or building can easily create dangerous lead dust. EPA requires that RRP projects that disturb lead-based paint in homes, childcare facilities and preschools built before 1978 be performed by lead-safe certified contractors. Generally, EPA’s Lead RRP rule does not apply to homeowners doing RRP projects in their own homes. However, it does apply if you rent all or part of your home, operate a childcare center in your home or if you buy, renovate, and sell homes for profit.