Albert Lea residents will be able to ensure they are lead-free at no cost Monday.

The lead poisoning training and education community event will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Monday at First Lutheran Church, 301 W. Clark St.

According to a press release, free vacuums will be available for the first 10 families with children under 6 years old and/or pregnant women who need to get blood tested.

Free Brita pitchers will be available for the next 25 receiving blood tests, and free toys for children and fresh fruit will be at the event.

An X-ray fluorescence machine will test paint samples, wood, dishes and other items, and Public Health educators will speak about lead and other environmental questions and concerns.

The event is sponsored by St. Paul-based community development corporation East Side Neighborhood Development Co., First Lutheran Church and United Way of Freeborn County.

The release noted children under the age of 6 and pregnant women need to be tested, and painted toys, antiques, ceramic dishes, imported cosmetics and any other items can contain lead.

John Vaughn, executive director of Eastside Neighborhood Development, said there are places in Albert Lea that have lead rates three times the state average for newborns to children age 6.

Vaughn noted lead is mainly found in chipping paint and original windows in homes built in the 1950s era or older.

“You can also find it in some antiques,” he said.

United Way of Freeborn County Executive Director Ann Austin said “it took a long time to get the whole event organized.”

She noted Monday’s event will serve as an introductory session.

Austin said if someone knows they have been poisoned by lead, they could become aware that their health will be affected. She noted a family whose daughter tested positive for lead moved as a result.

“The health of our children is so important,” she said. “This is something that we can prevent and avoid.”

Fliers are expected to be placed Saturday in local neighborhoods.

Austin noted residents can also be tested for lead poisoning at the hospital.

If a home is found to have lead poisoning, residents can receive Housing and Urban Development grants to replace windows, paint and take other steps to prevent continued lead exposure.

To Vaughn, children are especially at risk because of their relative likelihood of orally ingesting paint chips.

He noted though lead cannot be fully eradicated in certain places, homeowners can reduce the risk of lead poisoning by encapsulating, repainting or replacing windows and other areas where lead is found.

Vaughn said East Side Neighborhood has a contract in place with the Minnesota Department of Health to assist in places around the state with higher prevalences of lead poisoning.

“One of those places is Albert Lea,” he said.

According to the Mayo Clinic, lead poisoning happens when lead builds in the body, often over months or years. Small amounts of lead can cause serious health problems, according to the clinic.

Children younger than 6 years are considered especially vulnerable to lead poisoning, which can severely affect mental and physical development. If found at extraordinarily high levels, lead poisoning is considered potentially fatal.

According to Mayo, though lead-based paint and lead-contaminated dust in older buildings are the most common sources of lead poisoning in children, air, water and soil are other sources.

Adults who work with batteries, do home renovations or work in auto repair shops are also considered people who could contract lead poisoning. 

In children, developmental delays, learning difficulties, irritability, loss of appetite, weight loss, sluggishness and fatigue, abdominal pain and other health issues are signs of lead poisoning, according to Mayo Clinic.

For newborns, being born prematurely, having a lower birth weight and slowed growth are considered signs of lead poisoning.

In adults, difficulties with memory or concentration, high blood pressure, joint and muscle pain, headache and abdominal pain are some signs of lead poisoning, according to Mayo Clinic.