The danger started with a paint job. A family bought a 1920s home in Hamilton and hired a painter for exterior work. He cut corners and wasn't careful, they said. He scraped off old paint without misting it first. He used old drop cloths on the home's floors and surfaces instead of plastic. He didn't vacuum or wash the surfaces.

        He left behind lead paint dust.

        The parents, who don't want their names used to protect their children's privacy, discovered the danger after their preschoolers' annual checkups. One girl had more than three times the federal maximum of lead in her blood; the other had more than twice the safe maximum.

        At those levels the children could experience reading problems, hyperactivity, attention disorders and difficulties with balance. It's hard to know yet.

        The family spent “tens of thousands of dollars” getting the invisible lead dust out of their home.

Equal opportunity menace

        Lead poisoning affects the rich and poor; the urban and suburban, children, adults, the unborn. Each year more than 600 Cincinnati-area children are diagnosed with it; about 70 are hospitalized with “severe” poisoning, which can cause brain damage.

        It's easy to guard against this menace, but the methods don't get much attention.

        The Advertising Club of Cincinnati is trying to change that. It's seeking media support for its powerful print and broadcast ads, which make lead poisoning sound as deadly as crack cocaine.

        The ads don't exaggerate the danger.

        If you live in a home or apartment building built in 1978 or before, chances are your house contains lead paint. It only takes a smattering of lead-laced dust, less than can fit in a sugar packet, to create a hazard, says the Greater Cincinnati Area Lead Advisory Committee.

        The federal government banned lead in paint in 1978. But the hazard continues because many owners of older properties aren't aware of how to prevent exposure to the paint or its dust, says Bill Menrath, chairman of the lead committee.

        A year-old federal regulation requires contractors and painters to discuss lead precautions with clients before they start a job, but many don't know enough themselves, Mr. Menrath says. Consider the rehabbers, he says; many, professional or not, don't take measures to protect themselves, much less others.

        After your home has been painted or a window replaced, you can still get a “wet wipe” test for less than $10 to be sure, Mr. Menrath says.

Tiny victims

        More pediatricians could get involved. Few in the Tristate ask parents about the age of their homes. Those who do rarely order the blood tests to diagnose lead in their tiny patients. It's cost concern.

        Yet Cincinnati can still help by strengthening its building codes. Current city codes aren't as strict as federal ones, which require landlords to investigate and eradicate all lead hazards.

        Ohio's House recently unanimously approved a bill to allow building owners and contractors to obtain training in “lead-safe” remodeling.

        That means landlords and homeowners won't need to hire lead-abatement specialists, who charge $6,000 to $10,000 per apartment or home for routine jobs.

        Maybe then Cincinnati's building owners will make their older buildings safe from lead. And contractors like the man who worked on that Hamilton home will be more careful.

        For information, call CLEARCorps, 281-6850.

        E-mail damos@enquirer.com. Past columns at Enquirer.com/columns/amos.

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