Columbia County Division of Health Services

• Free blood lead testing (capillary) for children age 1 to 6 years old. Call for an appointment at 608-742-9264.
  

• Information on lead exposure, sources, risks in the home, and methods to decrease exposure. Call for more information.
  
• Free well water testing for pregnant women and families with infants under 1 year of age. Tests include nitrates, bacteria, fluoride.

• Fluoride drops and tablets at no cost. Children age 6 months to 15 years of age drinking well water with insufficient fluoride or non-fluoridated municipal water should be given daily fluoride supplements. A well water test for fluoride is required and may be obtained (you pay the postage) at the Division of Health.

• Human Health Hazard Inspections and Abatements. This agency administers the Columbia County Human Health Hazard Ordinance, Title 14, Chapter 1.

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1. Columbia County Solid Waste
   W7465 Hwy 16
   Pardeeville
   (608) 742-6651
   Cost: $5.00 for each gallon size Sharps container and disposal.

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1. Public building.

   Department of Commerce, Division of Safety & Buildings

   http://commerce.wi.gov/SB/SB-DivCountiesInspectorsList.html#Columbia

2. Private building.

   Business (and you are not an employee of the company that owns the building), call the State Division of Health, Bureau of Public Health, Occupational Health Section at 608-266-2817. They will provide technical assistance to the building owner. When calling, be prepared to talk about the following:

   • Symptoms, e.g. nausea, eye irritation, burning or stinging eyes, respiratory problems, nasal congestion or runny nose, dizziness, headache.

   • In which room or rooms do these symptoms usually occur?

   • Do you feel better after leaving the suspected area?

   • At what time of the day do these symptoms usually occur?

   • Are there any new events, changes or hobbies in your home environment that began within a month of the start of your symptoms, e.g. new carpeting, new construction, addition of gas heating, cooking, clothes dryer?

Specific Indoor Air Quality Problems:

• Asbestos:

  Unless you know the composition, ceiling or floor tiles should be analyzed for asbestos before removing them. If you think you might have a problem with asbestos, consider the following:

  • Is it asbestos? To be sure, samples should be tested by the State Occupational Health Lab at (608) 224-6210.

  • Was your home built before 1975?

  • What is the location of the problem?

  • What is the condition of the material? Exposure to asbestos fibers increases your chances of developing cancer.

• Cleaners and Solvents:
  • Do you frequently use cleaning products, e.g. oven cleaners, disinfectants, home cleaners in aerosol spray form, tub and tile cleaners, etc.?

  • Do you frequently use solvents in your home, e.g. wood stains, furniture polish, paint stripper, turpentine, artist's paints, etc.? Are they stored in your home?

  • What is the condition of the container of your cleaning products or solvents? Are there any holes, leakages or rusting? Many of these products have been linked to short-term health problems, such as nausea or dizziness. For proper disposal of unused cleaners and solvents, call the Columbia County Recycling/Solid Waste Facility at (608) 742-6651.

• Pesticides:
  • Do you store pesticides (e.g. rodent baits), herbicides (e.g. weed killer), or insecticides (e.g. bug spray) in your house?

  • Do you frequently use pesticides indoors on pets, house plants or insects? Pesticides are poisons. More than occasional use of pesticides in your home and surrounding area may cause respiratory problems. If you are experiencing health problems you suspect are associated with pesticides, consult your physician or local health professional as soon as possible.

• Carbon Monoxide or Other Combustion Odors:
  • Do you have a frequent smoker (more than one pack per day) in the home?

  • Do you have an attached garage?

  • Do you use a gas stove or oven for cooking?

  • Do you have a gas water heater? When was the last time your furnace was checked?

  • What is your winter heating source?

  • Do you have a gas clothes dryer? Where does it exhaust?

    If you experience drowsiness while in your home, do you feel better right after you leave? If so, leave your home (along with all other occupants) and have the equipment checked immediately. Contact your gas or electric provider for urgent carbon monoxide testing. For routine monitoring of carbon monoxide, install a carbon monoxide monitor in your home.

• House Dust and Biological Contaminants:
  • Do home occupants have hobbies that create dust?

  • Do you ever use a humidifier or vaporizer in the house? Is the water cleaned each time you use it?

  • Does your home have moisture or water problems?

  • Is firewood stored indoors?

  • Do any furry pets live indoors
• Mold
  • http://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/eh/HlthHaz/fs/moldinfo.htm
  • http://www.epa.gov/mold/moldresources.html

Outdoor Air Problems:

All outdoor air problems are handled by the Department of Natural Resources, Air Management

http://www.dnr.wi.gov/air/

Outdoor Wood Boilers

NY State Office of the Attorney General Report, Smoke Gets in Your Lungs:  Outdoor Wood Boilers in New York State, Oct. 2005

Washington State Department of Ecology, Health Effects of Wood Smoke Fact Sheet

WI DHS Fact Sheet on Trash and Wood Burning

WI DNR Open Burning Website

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Environmental Health Resources:
http://dhs.wisconsin.gov/eh/