Parents & Caregivers

According to the US Centre for Disease Control, ingestion is the main route of exposure to lead (Pb) for children, and the route that most commonly leads to elevated blood lead levels.

This is true for any community and is not specific to communities with a lead smelter.

Children are at greater risk of ingesting lead as they often put hands and objects in their mouth. 

Inhalation can be an exposure pathway for workers in lead industries, “do-it-yourself” home renovators, persons with hobbies (stained glass making/soldering), people who smoke and children exposed to second hand smoke. Absorption into the skin is a less common and rare exposure pathway. 

Our program has been working with Trail area families since 1989. Blood lead levels in Trail pre-school children have dropped significantly, from an average of 13.5 in 1989 to less than 3 micrograms per decilitre (µg/dL) since 2018.

Young children, especially those younger than 3 years old, are at a higher risk for lead exposure and its effects because:

• They often put their hands and objects in their mouths.
• They sometimes swallow non-food items.
• Their bodies absorb lead at a higher rate.
• Their brains are developing quickly.
• Lead exposure can have detrimental effects on early childhood development and children’s future outcomes.
• A pregnant woman who is exposed to lead can pass it to her baby.
• Lead can also be passed to a baby through the mother’s breast milk.

Primary prevention is the most effective way to prevent lead exposure. Actions you can take to reduce the risk of lead exposure include:

• Wash your hands and your children’s hands especially before eating and after playing outdoors.
• Eat foods that have enough iron and other vitamins and minerals. A person who eats a balanced, nutritious diet may absorb less lead. Eat at the table.
• Keep your floors dust-free by vacuuming and damp-mopping often. Leave outside shoes at the door. Damp dust frequently, especially window ledges and countertops.
• Keep outdoor play areas clean. Cover the sandbox when you are finished playing. Hose off patios, play equipment, and driveways often. Play on the grass and cover bare soil areas.
• Renovate safely. Seal off the area of work, use appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE), and clean well when complete. Keep children and pregnant women away if possible.

Secondary prevention including blood lead testing and follow-up minimizes further exposure. Trail offers an annual voluntary blood lead testing clinic for children under five years old.

To avoid stirring up dust, use a damp mop on bare floors and use a damp cloth to wipe window sills, furniture, benches, toys, baseboards and other surfaces that children touch. Dry sweeping is not recommended as it lifts dust into the air only to have some of it settle back down again.

Areas where food is prepared or eaten and floors or surfaces where babies or toddlers spend lots of time should always be kept clean.
For carpeted floors, use a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter or ducted vacuum system. These vacuums filter fine dust particles and prevent dust from recirculating in the room.

Always wash your hands and children’s hands, especially before eating and after playing outdoors. Leave outside shoes at the door. Renovate safely, sealing off the area of work. Eat regular meals high in calcium, Vitamin C and iron.

Sign up online for a Healthy Families Healthy Homes visit to learn more. All supports provided are free, high quality, and focused on reducing potential exposure to dust and lead in your home.

THEP has completed soil testing at daycares in Trail and area and has provided soil management where recommended.

If you know of a new daycare facility opening in THEP’s Soil Management Area, please contact THEP to arrange soil testing. 

Yes, it is safe to play at parks and playgrounds in Trail and in THEP’s Soil Management Area.

Parks and playgrounds in Trail, Rivervale and select parks in Warfield have been assessed and soil management has been completed where needed. Park spaces in the City of Trail are maintained to a high standard and generally have excellent ground cover. If you notice poor ground cover at parks or playgrounds, please contact the City of Trail and/or the Community Program Office. Still, always wash children’s hands (and yours) after outdoor play and before eating.

The most effective way to reduce children’s potential ingestion of lead is to keep indoor dust down. Connect (or reconnect) with the public health nurse and community program office for a home visit to look more closely at nutrition, diet and the home and yard environment. They will connect with you community resources and groups that support early childhood development. They can also provide useful supplies to keep dust down in the home environment, such as a vacuum (or replacement bags), dust buster kits, hand soap, and lead-safe renovation supplies.

Families with children under 12 months are offered a free Healthy Families home visit. A public health nurse will meet with parents to answer their questions and show simple ways to promote children’s health and wellbeing, and reduce lead exposure. Young children in Trail, Casino, Oasis, Rivervale, Waneta and Warfield are invited to have their blood lead levels tested each year starting from the age of 6 months to 36 months.

All programs are voluntary.

The Healthy Families Healthy Homes Program is an in-home visitation, health promotion program targeting expectant families and families with children under 3 years old in Trail, Casino, Oasis, Rivervale, Waneta and Warfield. This is a time when children are more at risk of exposure to lead in their home environment as they are beginning to crawl, explore their world and put hands and objects in their mouths.

Each family receives two visits, one from an Interior Health Public Health registered nurse (the Healthy Families visit) and one from a trained Community Program Office professional (the Healthy Homes visit). Visits focus on prevention of lead exposure and strengthening children’s healthy development through education, awareness and supplies to help parents take action immediately.

Every year, THEP offers free voluntary testing of blood lead levels for children from the age of 6 to 36 months living in Trail, Casino, Oasis, Rivervale, Waneta and Warfield. Children up to 5 years old from other Lower Columbia communities are welcome to attend. Clinics are typically held in September with a follow-up clinic in February.

Please contact the Interior Health Public Health nurse for details. Call 250-364-6223 or text 250-231-5945.

Lead exposure can have detrimental effects on early childhood development and children’s future outcomes. Lead is most harmful to young children under the age of six. A pregnant woman who is exposed to lead can pass it to her baby through the mother’s breast milk. For children, there is no known safe level of lead exposure and no known safe blood lead concentration.

Most lead enters the body through the mouth via eating, drinking or breathing in dust containing lead. Young children are at a higher risk for lead exposure and its effects because:

• They often put their hands and objects in their mouths.
• They sometimes swallow non-food items.
• Their bodies absorb lead at a higher rate.
• Their brains are developing quickly.

Still, there are actions you can take to help reduce your family’s exposure to lead.