This paper traces three parallel histories: the growing awareness of non-biotic hazards of household interiors; childhood lead poisoning-its growth, discovery, and the public health responses to it; and the transformation in defining acceptable risk in general. Late 19th century society envisioned the family home as a "haven in a heartless world." But sanitary engineers, social reformers and public health advocates warned of the many potential dangers lurking in improperly built or cared-for homes. With germ theory in its ascendancy, much of this attention focused on infectious diseases. Homemakers were urged to scrub harder than ever, invest in the most up-to-date plumbing, and keep germ-infected walls and woodwork covered with a fresh coat of paint. This fixation with germs--abetted by the lead industry's assurances that its products posed no public health threat--inhibited awareness of a steadily growing epidemic of childhood lead poisoning. That awareness did come, however, during the years when the burden of childhood disease shifted from acute infectious conditions to chronic, often environmentally-related conditions. As it had in the crisis in workplace environments decades earlier, lead poisoning played a prominent role in formulating today's view of the home as a site of countless hidden dangers.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: History, Environmental Health Hazards
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.