Lead Screening Kit Project
The University of Notre Dame, Indiana University—Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI), Indiana State University, IU School of Medicine—Terre Haute, and the Indiana State Department of Health, with funding from Housing and Urban Development (HUD), partnered to create the Indiana Collaboration for Lead Action and Prevention. Through this partnership, residents of four Indiana counties, Marion, Vermillion, Vigo, and St. Joseph, received free Lead Screening Kits to collect and submit samples of dust, paint, soil, and water for analysis.
You may still have your soil and dust analyzed in Marion County, see next section. If you live in St. Joseph County, see below!
Screen Your Home for Lead in Indiana, USA
Marion County Residents
Even though the HUD-funded Lead Screening Kits are being phased out in Marion County, you can still pick up a Community Science Lead Screening Kit from one of the Indianapolis Public Library seed library locations on this map.
A million thanks to our Marion County community partners who contributed to the HUD-funded Lead Screening Kit project success:
- Indianapolis Public Library
- Indianapolis Recorder
- Marion County Public Health Department
- Minority Health Coalition of Marion County
- Side Effects and WFYI Public Media
Visit the IU Indianapolis Center for Urban Health for more information about lead and a list of additional projects in which to participate.
St. Joseph County Residents
If you are a resident of St. Joseph County, visit leadscreeningkit.com/ or contact Ornella Joseph at ojoseph2@nd.edu to coordinate the pickup of an original Lead Screening Kit.
Vermillion and Vigo Counties
If you are a resident of Vermillion or Vigo County, please write to ISU-EES@mail.indstate.edu to find out how you can participate.
If you have completed a Lead Screening Kit, you may drop it off at the ISU Center for Sustainability at 219 N. 11th St. in Terre Haute (aka The Garden House at the community gardens) between 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.
The Bigger Picture
Given the importance of lead poisoning as a public health issue, a community-powered science approach is the foundation for this project. Residents directly engage in collecting data to help extend the reach of researchers while helping residents gain knowledge, increase awareness, and help solve the persistent issue of lead poisoning. Be sure to check out our other lead screening projects!
Further Learning and Resources
Calculate the value of lead interventions
- Preventing Childhood Lead Exposure: Costs and Benefits
Created by Altarum with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Community Resources
- Mission Unleaded: From the Marion County Public Health Department
- Marion County Public Health Department Blood testing
- Lead Protection Program-Indiana
A free program for qualified homeowners, rental occupants, and rental property owners. Lead hazard repair work may include windows, doors, painting, and special cleaning. You may participate whether you own or rent your home. Download the application to learn more.
Gardening Resources
Urban Gardening Guides in English and Spanish
- Garden Safe Garden Well or Sembrado Seguro
- Garden Safely With Lead or Práctica de Jardinería Segura con Plomo
Media
- Decades After Ban, Lead Paint Lingers
Side Effects Public Media, 2016 - Lead: Lead poisoning is a national problem
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, 2016
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
Centers for Disease Control Resources
Indiana Department of Health
Research
- Filippelli, G. M., Adamic, J., Nichols, D., Shukle, J., & Frix, E. (2018). Mapping the urban lead exposome: a detailed analysis of soil metal concentrations at the household scale using citizen science. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 15(7), 1531.
- Tighe, M., Knaub, C., Sisk, M., Ngai, M., Lieberman, M., Peaslee, G., & Beidinger, H. (2020). Validation of a screening kit to identify environmental lead hazards. Environmental Research, 181, 108892.