Kane County honors retired lead poisoning worker

The Kane County Health Department has recognized the retirement of Olga del Toro, a lead risk assessor with the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program.

She has worked for the department for 30 years, including stings in family case management, tobacco prevention, osteoporosis screening, HealthWorks, nutrition education and the health clinic. She transferred to the lead program in 2008. Using an X-ray fluorescence machine, she has conducted detailed inspections of homes to identify and collect samples to identify sources of lead.

According to a press release, her favorite part has been teaching families how to reduce the risk of lead poisoning. She also emphasized the need to educate the public about common sources of lead exposure, including imported cookware.