SALT LAKE CITY — Many people may not think lead poisoning is as big of a concern in recent years, but one county in Utah is pushing for families in older homes to learn about the dangers lead poisoning.

Gary and Carma Sagers have lived in their Salt Lake City home for 45 years. When their grandkids come to visit their home, built in 1942, the Sagers said they won't be exposed to the risk of lead poisoning.

"The remodel was very worthwhile for us in updating the property," said Gary Sagers. "We're grateful we're in Salt Lake City and we qualified for the program. The (renovations) was not an inconvenience."

Back in 2011, crews locked the Sagers out of their home for a few days to clear the walls, doors, and windows of lead-based paint as part of Salt Lake County's Green and Healthy Homes Initiative. This is a program that, among other projects, works to eliminate exposure to toxic lead-based paint in Salt Lake County homes.

The county won the $2.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to fund the program. Officials said they're mainly concerned about older homes like the Sagers' and the children who live in these homes.

"When you look at houses built before 1940, about 90 percent of them have lead in them, which is a pretty high rate," said Randy Jepperson, Housing Director, Salt Lake County Community Resources & Development.

Jepperson said even homes built in 1978 are at risk for exposing families to lead poisoning.

Jepperson did much of the research and work to obtain the federal grant for the program. Using recent census data for Salt Lake County, he found that 29,940 housing units were built before 1940 with 18,673 single family homes and 11,267 apartments.

There were 188,600 housing units built before 1978, with 127,176 single family homes and 61,424 apartments.

Officials said many kids under the age of six live in the older homes, which can make them the most vulnerable to lead poisoning.

"If you do the math, there are about 100,000 children under the age of six in the Salt Lake Valley," said Jepperson. "And so there could be up to a thousand children that have lead poisoning to some degree."

Health officials said exposure to lead poisoning is extremely hazardous, especially to toddlers who like to put everything in their mouths.

"It usually starts very slowly. They are irritable. Their tummies hurt," said Dr. Dagmar Viteck, Medical Director at the Salt Lake County Health Department. "They don't want to eat. They sleep poorly. So it starts very inconspicuously."

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Vitek said on average health workers in Salt Lake County will see about 10 kids per year with some degree of lead poisoning. She said county health workers will work with primary physicians to conduct blood tests to determine the level of lead poisoning in the body.

"It (lead poisoning) can target any organ. It can target kidneys, liver, and they can have hearing problems," Vitek said. "But we worry most about the brain and central nervous system because all of a sudden those kids start having behavioral problems."

Salt Lake County Health and Housing officials said lead poisoning is preventable. They recommend families, especially those in older homes, pick up loose paint chips, wipe the area clean and vacuum the area. They should also wash kids' hands and toys to reduce exposure to dust and paint chips and can call a professional to check for lead hazards, including lead in soil.

Other information on lead prevention can be found on the county website, along with information about who is eligible for the lead removal program. Organizers said they hope to complete lead-based hazard reduction on at least 250 homes in Salt Lake County.

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