BELLEVILLE, Ill. (AP) — Two housing agencies in Southern Illinois will receive about $1 million each to identify lead-based paint hazards in decades-old apartment complexes.

The Belleville News-Democrat reports that the federal government this week announced the awards to the East St. Louis Housing Authority and the Union County Housing Authority.

The agencies were among 38 across the country to share $28 million in awards that focus on units occupied by families with young children.

The homes are a concern because children who get paint dust in their mouths can be poisoned with lead, which can cause lifelong delays in development. In 1978, the federal government banned consumer use of paint with lead.