Public Health Graduate Students Explore Lead Prevention Efforts With Local Experts

In recognition of , a national campaign dedicated to reducing childhood lead exposure through awareness, education, and prevention, public health students at the University of New Haven recently put theory into practice. The campaign, organized by the (EPA), highlights three key actions: get the facts about lead hazards, get your child tested for lead exposure, and get your home tested for potential sources of lead.

As part of this initiative, Master of Public Health (MPH) candidates participated in a special campus visit from the New Haven Health Department’s Environmental Health team. The session gave students the opportunity to engage directly with field inspectors and observe live demonstrations of lead-detection tools, connecting classroom learning with real-world community health practice.

The event was organized collaboratively by the Student Public Health Association (SPHA), and Population Health and Leadership Faculty members, Jamie Luckhardt, MPH, CHES and Alvin Tran, Sc.D., MPH. Deputy director of environmental health led an interactive presentation and demonstration of the XRF (X-ray fluorescence) analyzer, a device used to detect lead in paint and other materials. Students also learned how public health professionals collaborate with community members, housing officials, and policymakers to reduce lead exposure risks in older homes.

Below, three students, Danish Khan ’26 MPH, Edith Nkalubo’26 MPH, and Shivani Shah ’26 MPH, share their reflections on this impactful learning experience.

The visit from the New Haven Health Department team provided an eye-opening look into local efforts to prevent childhood lead exposure. Glenda’s presentation unfolded like a story, each part revealing something both alarming and empowering. Her approachable style and encouragement of questions made the session engaging and memorable. When I asked whether lead exposure during pregnancy could affect an unborn child, she explained clearly that it can and described how a construction worker father might unknowingly bring lead dust home on his clothes, putting his pregnant partner and baby at risk. Other students asked about treatment options for children with high lead levels, and Glenda emphasized that prevention remains the most effective approach since treatment options are limited.

The hands-on learning experience made the topic even more meaningful. Using the XRF device, also known as the “X-ray gun,” to detect lead in everyday household items felt like stepping into real-world public health practice. Discovering that some dishes and utensils sold in local stores contained harmful levels of lead underscored the importance of environmental health surveillance and connected directly to our coursework on environmental hazards, risk assessment, and vulnerable populations.

This workshop deepened my appreciation for the critical work of local public health professionals who protect families from environmental threats. It reminded me that environmental health is not an abstract concept but a daily reality for many communities.

When I learned that the New Haven Department of Public Health would be visiting campus during National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week, I was eager to attend, both as a public health graduate student aware of the dangers of lead exposure and as an aunt to four young children whom I want to protect with accurate health information. Glenda Buenaventura delivered a clear overview of how lead exposure most often occurs through ingestion or inhalation of peeling paint in older homes built before 1978, and how it can be detected using blood tests and XRF lead analyzers. She also discussed ways we can help prevent and detect lead poisoning through volunteering, internships, and professional roles in environmental health.

The hands-on demonstration with test kits and sample materials brought the concepts to life. Seeing how XRF analyzers detect lead made the science tangible and deepened my appreciation for the tools used in environmental surveillance. Speaking with young professionals from the Health Department about their career paths and day-to-day responsibilities was equally inspiring. I left the presentation with a renewed commitment to contributing to environmental health efforts in my community.

We had the opportunity to learn directly from Glenda and the lead inspectors about local efforts to prevent lead exposure in children. She provided an informative overview of how lead poisoning remains a serious environmental health issue, especially in older housing across New Haven. One of the most engaging parts of her presentation was the hands-on demonstration with the x-ray fluorescence machine, which is used to detect lead in paint and other materials. It was eye-opening to see how this technology helps identify hazards that may not be visible to the eye, emphasizing the importance of proactive inspection and prevention.

This presentation connected strongly to our public health coursework, especially our discussions around environmental determinants of health and community-level interventions. Glenda’s explanation of how education, housing policies, and local outreach programs intersect to reduce exposure illustrated how theory translates into practice. It also highlighted the role of collaboration between public agencies and communities to promote safer living environments.

Seeing the real-world application of environmental health principles such as prevention, surveillance, and community engagement made me appreciate how public health professionals protect families and improve health outcomes at the local level.