New lead detection kits available for checkout at Laconia Public Library

LACONIA — The Laconia Public Library now has a lead detector kit available for checkout, thanks to sponsorship from the state Department of Health and Human Services Division of Public Health Healthy Homes and Lead Poisoning Prevention Program. Library card holders can check out the kit to inspect their home at no cost.

This tool is a fluorospec test kit used to measure exposed lead. It includes one spray bottle and one lead detection pen for application on smaller objects. A UV flashlight is also included. When shined on a sprayed area, the light will glow bright green in the presence of lead. The kit is not an official lead inspection tool, but provides insight when a formal inspection is needed.

“Fluorospec test kits can be used to identify exposed lead in the home, including chipping and peeling paint and lead dust in the crevices of floorboards, on window wells, and on windowsills,” said Thomas Brown, public health information officer at DHHS. “Each test kit comes with easy-to-follow instructions on the use of the test kit, and how to interpret results.”

The state Division of Public Health launched a pilot program in 11 libraries, distributing fluorospec testing kits so residents can easily identify lead paint in their home. Laconia was chosen as one of 11 distribution libraries for the initial pilot program. State staff selected communities where there were 50% or more homes built before 1978, which is when lead paint was widely used. Roughly 59% of housing in Laconia was built before 1978.

John Moriarty, chair of the Laconia Public Library Board of Trustees, said the tool can be used in the home, but is not solely for architecture testing. The lead detection pen can be used to test children’s toys, or other small objects of concern.

Library patrons can ask about the test kit at the Laconia Public Library’s circulation desk, where there will also be counter cards advertising the tool. When checking out the kit, patrons will also receive a copy of the children’s board book, "Happy, Healthy, Lead-Free Me!" The book is available as an ebook in nine languages at dhhs.nh.gov.

State DHHS, in partnership with the NH chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the New England Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit at Boston Children’s Hospital, the children's book was published to educate “and support families in understanding the risks of lead exposure and how to keep their families safe,” according to Brown.

Moriarty noted in the Granite State, all children are tested for lead at 1 years old, and again at 2 years old, during routine doctor visits. These tests check a child’s blood lead levels, and are often covered by health insurance or Medicaid.

Brown said across the United States, up to 70% of children poisoned by lead were exposed in homes built prior to 1978. Across the State of New Hampshire, over 50% of homes were built before 1978, and lead dust is basically impossible for the naked eye to see.

“In 2024, 1,010 children in New Hampshire had elevated blood lead levels high enough to impair their ability to think, learn, and concentrate,” Brown said.

Lead exposure can be incredibly harmful to a child’s health, and according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, can cause possible damage to a child’s brain and nervous system, hearing and speech problems, learning and behavior issues, or slowed growth and development.

Moriarty said the lead detector kit has already been checked out by a few patrons. He said it is not only a tool for families with children, but can be useful for business owners, or anyone working on renovation projects.