If lead hazards are found, the landlords must promptly and safely correct them.
The study also included two control groups, one of homes in which all lead hazards had been eliminated and the other of houses that never had lead paint.
Lead hazards, Ms. Rodriguez said, include not just peeling paint, but also friction surfaces (painted surfaces that rub), impact surfaces (painted surfaces that can be damaged by being hit) and chewable surfaces (like windowsills).
WITH recent reports that some toys made in China contain lead paint, it is also timely for homeowners and renters, particularly those with small children, to test their homes for lead hazards.
Prodded by the Sierra Club, an environmental group that has focused on combating lead hazards, the product safety commission is now considering a formal ban on lead in children's jewelry, instead of simply setting an enforcement standard.
Without these steps, cleanup efforts would probably lead to greater lead hazards, a higher risk of lead poisoning in children and, in some cases, children with higher blood levels than before the cleanups, she said in the letter.
Federal programs fund testing for children, cleanup of industrial lead hazards and poisoning-awareness efforts.
This support for cities, counties and states to get lead hazards out of homes has also shrunk in recent years.
Bellomo said the county's first priority will be to remove interior lead hazards in contaminated housing where children have been poisoned and in low-income neighborhoods.
While some cities have allocated grants and state money to address lead hazards in decaying housing stock, others, like Detroit, rely heavily on federal funding.
Donnelly has been working on alleviating a lead crisis in East Chicago, while Brown cited a "scourge of lead hazards that have impacted Ohio families".
