University of Rochester Medical Center, Environmental Health Sciences Center, 601 Elmwood Ave., Box EHSC, Rochester, NY 14642 USA.
Environ Health Perspect. 2012 Feb;120(2):309-15. doi: 10.1289/ehp.1103606. Epub 2011 Oct 14.
Significant progress has been made in reducing the incidence of childhood lead poisoning in the United States in the past three decades. However, the prevalence of elevated blood lead in children (≥ 10 μg/dL) remains high in some communities, particularly those with high proportions of pre-1978 housing in poor condition. Increasingly, municipalities are using local policy tools to reduce lead poisoning in high-risk areas, but little is known about the effectiveness of such policies.
In this article, we evaluated the effectiveness of a comprehensive rental housing-based lead law adopted in Rochester, New York, in 2005.
This policy evaluation integrates analyses of city inspections data, a survey of landlords, landlord focus groups, and health department data on children's blood lead levels from the first 4 years of implementation of the 2005 law.
Implementation has proceeded consistent with projected numbers of inspections with nearly all target units inspected in the first 4 years. Higher than expected inspection passage rates suggest that landlords have reduced lead hazards in rental housing affected by the law. Implementation of the lead law does not appear to have had a significant impact on the housing market.
Although many uncertainties remain, our analysis suggests that the lead law has had a positive impact on children's health. Strong enforcement, support for community-based lead programs, and ongoing intergovernmental coordination will be necessary to maintain lead-safe housing in Rochester. Lessons learned from the Rochester experience may inform future local lead poisoning prevention policies in other communities.
在过去的三十年中，美国在降低儿童铅中毒发病率方面取得了重大进展。然而，在某些社区，儿童血铅水平升高（≥10μg/dL）的患病率仍然很高，特别是那些条件差的 1978 年以前住房比例较高的社区。越来越多的城市正在利用地方政策工具来减少高风险地区的铅中毒，但对于这些政策的有效性知之甚少。
本文评估了 2005 年纽约罗切斯特市全面基于租赁住房的铅法的有效性。
这项政策评估整合了城市检查数据的分析、对房东的调查、房东焦点小组以及卫生部门在 2005 年法律实施的前四年中儿童血铅水平的数据。
实施情况与预计的检查次数一致，在前四年中几乎对所有目标单位进行了检查。高于预期的检查通过率表明，房东已经减少了受法律影响的出租房屋中的铅危害。铅法的实施似乎对住房市场没有产生重大影响。
尽管存在许多不确定性，但我们的分析表明，该铅法对儿童健康产生了积极影响。为了在罗切斯特保持铅安全住房，需要强有力的执法、对基于社区的铅项目的支持以及持续的政府间协调。从罗切斯特的经验中吸取的教训可能会为其他社区未来的地方性铅中毒预防政策提供信息。
