>>> AND MUSIC, FASHION, AND PHOTOGRAPHY IS AT THE HEART OF AN EXHIBITION AT THE ART INSTITUTE.

>>> NOW OUR TOP STORY TONIGHT, TOXIC LEAD-BASED PAINT WAS OUTLAWED IN 1978 BUT THE THREAT OF POISONING STILL PERSISTS.

LAST MONTH WE REPORTED ON THE PROBLEM WHICH CITY HEALTH OFFICIALS CONFIRMED IS PRESENT IN THE MAJORITY OF CHICAGO HOMES.

TONIGHT WE TURN OUR ATTENTION TO SUBURBAN COOK COUNTY, WHERE OFFICIALS THERE SAY AS MANY AS HALF 1 MILLION HOMES HAVE LEAD PAINT HAZARDS THAT PRESENTS ENORMOUS HEALTH THREATS FOR YOUNG CHILDREN.

ONE MOTHER SAYS HER KIDS WERE POISONED SEVERAL YEARS AGO AND THE PROBLEMS HAVE NOT LET UP SINCE.

>> Reporter: NINE-YEAR-OLD MARSHALL SONTAG IS READY FOR SUMMER.

NEXT YEAR HE'LL BE ENTERING A NEW SCHOOL DISTRICT.

HIS MOTHER KAYLIN WORRIES ABOUT WHETHER THE SCHOOL CAN OFFER AN ADEQUATE, INDIVIDUALIZED EDUCATION PLAN.

SHE SAYS MARSHALL HAS BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH ADHD AND A MOOD DISORDER WHICH MAKES BEING IN THE CLASSROOM VERY DIFFICULT FOR HIM.

>> HE GETS VERY FRUSTRATED AND HE LACKS EMOTIONAL CONTROL.

VERY MUCH GOES FROM ZERO TO 100 AT THE DROP OF A HAT.

>> Reporter: MARSHALL WAS POISONED BY LEAD SEVEN YEARS AGO.

METAL EXPERTS CONSIDER ANY BLOOD LEVEL ABOVE FIVE DECIGRAMS PER MICROLITER OF BLOOD TO BE HAZARDOUS.

DURING A ROUTINE PEDIATRIC APPOINTMENT WHEN HE WAS TWO, DOCTORS MEASURED MARSHALL'S LEVEL AT 59.

X-RAYS SHOWED THAT MARSHALL HAD INGESTED PAINT CHIPS.

COOK COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT INSPECTORS WERE SENT TO HIS FAMILY'S APARTMENT IN BERWYN AND FOUND A PEELING PAINT ON WINDOWSILLS, AND HAZARDS ALL OVER.

>> I HAD NO IDEA THAT WE WERE PAYING SOMEONE TO POISON MY FAMILY.

>> Reporter: IT WAS THE SECOND TIME INSPECTORS HAD BEEN CALLED TO THE APARTMENT.

A YEAR EARLIER SONTAG'S MIDDLE SON, JACKSON, WAS FOUND TO HAVE A BLOOD LEAD LEVEL OF 29.

SONTAG SAYS THEY TOLD HER THE EXPOSURE WAS LIKELY FROM HOUSEHOLD PRODUCTS, NOT PAINT.

WHILE IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO TRACE MARSHALL'S PROBLEMS TO ONE CAUSE, MEDICAL EXPERTS HAVE LONG WARNED LEAD EXPOSURE IN CHILDREN IS LINKED TO IRREVERSIBLE BEHAVIORAL AND COGNITIVE ISSUES.

MUCH LIKE CHICAGO, LED PAINT HAZARDS ARE COMMON IN THE INNER RING SUBURBS, WHERE THE MAJORITY OF HOMES WERE BUILT BEFORE 1978.

>> WHEN THAT PAINT CRACKS IT CREATES DUST AND IT ONLY TAKES A LITTLE BIT OF DUST TO EXPOSE A CHILD, AND THAT EXPOSURE CAN IMPACT THEIR DEVELOPMENT.

>> Reporter: SONTAG SAYS SHE MOVED HER FAMILY OUT OF THEIR APARTMENT AFTER MARSHALL'S DIAGNOSIS.

COUNTY RECORDS SHOW THE LANDLORD PATRICIA GROSS WAS WARNED MULTIPLE TIMES TO ABATE THE PROBLEMS.

RECORDS SHOW GROSS MOVED TO EVICT THE FAMILY FOR FAILING TO PAY RENT, EVEN THOUGH THEY NO LONGER LIVED THERE.

WE TRIED CALLING GROWTH AND VISITING THE BUILDING BUT RECEIVED NO RESPONSE.

IT IS UNCLEAR FROM COUNTY RECORDS WHETHER OR NOT THE LEAD HAZARD WAS EVER REMOVED.

>> WORKING WITH A LANDLORD WHO DOESN'T WANT TO MITIGATE CAN BE REALLY DIFFICULT TO GAIN COMPLIANCE.

>> Reporter: DEANNA DIRECTIVE IS COOK COUNTY'S DIRECTOR OF LEAD POISONING PREVENTION.

SHE SAYS THE COUNTY WORKS WITH LANDLORDS TO MITIGATE LEAD PAINT PROBLEMS BUT THOSE WHO FAIL TO COMPLY OUR TAKEN TO COURT AND CHARGED FINDS.

THE COOK COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT SAYS IT INVESTIGATED 179 UNITS LAST YEAR WHERE CHILDREN WERE FOUND WITH ELEVATED LEAD LEVELS IN THEIR BLOOD.

APPROXIMATELY 60% OF THOSE UNITS HAD LED PAINT HAZARDS AND ONLY 30% OF THOSE ACHIEVED COMPLIANCE BY THE END OF THE YEAR.

>> WE KNOW THAT LEAD EXPOSURE IS PREVENTABLE.

WE KNOW THAT IF WE WERE ABLE TO MITIGATE LEAD HAZARDS BEFORE THE CHILDREN WE WOULD PROTECT THEM FROM A LIFETIME OF NEGATIVE IMPACT.

>> Reporter: UNLIKE THE CITY OF CHICAGO, THE RICA SAYS SUBURBAN COOK COUNTY HAS A PROGRAM TO PROACTIVELY SCREEN APARTMENT BUILDINGS IN HIGH RISK AREAS AND EVEN FOOT THE BILL TO MITIGATE THE HAZARDS.

BUT SONTAG SAYS RAISING AWARENESS IS STILL AN ISSUE.

>> PEOPLE REALLY DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT THIS ISSUE IS STILL VERY MUCH GOING ON.

THEY THINK IT WAS BANNED 45 YEARS AGO.

MY CHILDREN WERE POISONED BY SOMETHING THAT WAS BANNED 45 YEARS AGO.

>> COOK COUNTY HAS A WEBSITE CALLED LEADFREE COOK COUNTY.COM FOR ALL OF ITS PROGRAMS CONTAINING LEAD PAINT.

YOU CAN FIND THAT ON OUR WEBSITE OR YOU CAN ALSO VIEW OUR STORIES ON THE LEAD PAINT CRISIS IN THE