Eliminating Lead and Asbestos Hazards Through Identification and Mitigation in Child-Occupied Facilities

Abstract

Public health programs that address environmental contamination often struggle with fragmented sampling, inconsistent data systems, limited risk communication capacity, and weak links between testing and response. These operational barriers can limit the effectiveness of otherwise strong policy or program goals. Scalable implementation infrastructure is therefore essential to translating environmental health knowledge into real-world public health action.

This presentation describes RTI CleanPlus as an applied service platform developed to support environmental contaminant identification, data management, results communication, and response across multiple settings. The platform includes mailed testing kits for lead, copper, and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS); web-based tools for sample tracking, data ingestion, analysis, visualization, and reporting; and laboratory capacity to support large-scale testing programs. Although initially developed in support of statewide child-occupied facility initiatives, the platform has broader applications for utilities, local governments, commercial partners, and households.

The presentation will describe how this infrastructure has been used to support lead-at-the-tap testing in hundreds of homes and how it is being adapted for use in schools and child care facilities. It will also examine how centralized implementation systems can support compliance with evolving monitoring requirements, including those associated with the Lead and Copper Rule Improvements. The CleanPlus model illustrates how coordinated sampling systems, data tools, and laboratory services can strengthen program implementation, improve results communication, and support timely public health response across diverse settings.