Thousands of kids state-wide are still poisoned by lead, according to the Pa. Department of Health.

The department is trying to spread the word about the dangers of lead poisoning and to inform landlords of their legal responsibilities.

Steve Shive of East Stroudsburg University is part of the Department of Health's lead awareness program. He spoke at a recent Mayor's Southside Task Force meeting and explained why the chemical element is so dangerous.

"Oftentimes, people are exposed to it and they don't even realize that they're being exposed to it," Shive said.

The Department of Health lists lead poisoning as one of the five leading household hazards - a list that also includes fire, falls, drowning and choking or suffocation.

Two of the more common ways people can be exposed to lead are by ingestion and inhalation, Shive said. And the leading cause of lead poisoning is peeling or chipping lead-based paint in homes built before 1978 when lead was banned from American household paints.

Most homes built before 1960 contain some type of lead-based paint, and homes built before 1978 are also likely to contain the harmful substance.

Landlords who rent pre-1978 properties are legally required to disclose the date of the home's inception, and they are also required to pass out EPA pamphlets on lead awareness. Those who don't could face steep penalties up to $10,000, Shive said.

"Some (landlords) are not aware they have to do it," he said. "Other landlords decide not to or didn't know they had to."

The requirements are simple and the benefits of informing potential tennants, especially those with children, could be substantial. Lead is most harmful to children under 6 years old, he said.

"The danger of lead is that it's a heavy metal. When people get it in their bodies, it affects the neurological system," Shive said. "Oftentimes. the symptoms we get may be related to some other disease or problem. You start seeing behavioral disorders in children, and you're not sure if it's the lead or another problem in that area."

The Department of Health advises people to take these immediate actions:

-Notify the landlord of peeling or chipping paint

-Clean up paint chips

-Use a wet mop or wet cloth to clean floors, window frames and sills

-Thoroughly rinse cleaning sponges and mops

-Wash children's hands often

-Prevent children from chewing painted surfaces

-Give children meals high in iron and calcium

-To temporarily reduce lead hazards, repair painted surfaces and plant grass over soil high in lead