Where Lead is
Found
*In general, the older your home, the more likely it has
lead-based paint. *
- Paint. Many homes built before 1978 have lead-based
paint. The federal government banned lead-based paint
from housing in 1978. Some states stopped its use even
earlier. Lead can be found:
- In homes in the city, country, or suburbs.
- In apartments, single-family homes, and both private
and public housing.
- Inside and outside of the house.
- In soil around a home. (Soil can pick up lead from
exterior paint, or other sources such as past use of leaded
gas in cars.)
- Household dust. (Dust can pick up lead from deteriorating
lead-based paint or from soil tracked into a home.)
- Drinking water. Your home might have plumbing with lead or
lead solder. Call your local health department or water
supplier to find out about testing your water. You cannot
see, smell, or taste lead, and boiling your water will not
get rid of lead. If you think your plumbing might have lead
in it:
- Use only cold water for drinking and cooking.
- Run water for 15 to 30 seconds before drinking it,
especially if you have not used your water for a few
hours.
- The job. If you work with lead, you could bring it home on
your hands or clothes. Shower and change clothes before
coming home. Launder your work clothes separately from the
rest of your family's clothes.
- Old painted toys and furniture.
- Food and liquids stored in lead crystal or lead-glazed
pottery or porcelain.
- Lead smelters or other industries that release lead into
the air.
- Hobbies that use lead, such as making pottery or stained
glass, or refinishing furniture.
- Folk remedies that contain lead, such as "greta"
and "azarcon" used to treat an upset stomach.
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Where Lead is
Likely to be a Hazard
*Lead from paint chips, which you can see, and lead dust,
which you can't always see, can be serious hazards.*
- Peeling, chipping, chalking, or cracking lead-based paint
is a hazard and needs immediate attention.
- Lead-based paint may also be a hazard when found on
surfaces that children can chew or that get a lot of
wear-and-tear. These areas include:
- Windows and window sills.
- Doors and door frames.
- Stairs, railings, and banisters.
- Porches and fences.
Note: Lead-based paint that is in good condition is
usually not a hazard.
- Lead dust can form when lead-based paint is dry scraped,
dry sanded, or heated. Dust also forms when painted surfaces
bump or rub together. Lead chips and dust can get on
surfaces and objects that people touch. Settled lead dust
can re-enter the air when people vacuum, sweep, or walk
through it.
- Lead in soil can be a hazard when children play in bare
soil or when people bring soil into the house on their
shoes. Contact the National
Lead Information Center (NLIC) to find out about testing
soil for lead.
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Checking
Your Family and Home for Lead
*Get your children and home tested if you think your home has
high levels of lead.*
*Just knowing that a home has lead-based paint may not tell
you if there is a hazard.*
To reduce your child’s exposure to lead, get your child
checked, have your home tested (especially if your home has
paint in poor condition and was built before 1978), and fix any
hazards you may have.
- Your Family
- Children’s blood lead levels tend to increase
rapidly from 6 to 12 months of age, and tend to peak at
18 to 24 months of age.
- Consult your doctor for advice on testing your
children. A simple blood test can detect high
levels of lead. Blood tests are important for:
- Children at ages 1 and 2.
- Children and other family members who have been
exposed to high levels of lead.
- Children who should be tested under your state or
local health screening plan.
- Your doctor can explain what the test results mean and
if more testing will be needed.
- Your Home
- You can get your home checked in one of two ways, or
both:
- A paint inspection tells you the lead content of
every different type of painted surface in your
home. It won't tell you whether the paint is a
hazard or how you should deal with it.
- A risk assessment tells you if there are any
sources of serious lead exposure (such as peeling
paint and lead dust). It also tells you what actions
to take to address these hazards.
- Have qualified professionals do the work. There are
standards in place for certifying lead-based paint
professionals to ensure the work is done safely,
reliably, and effectively. Contact the National
Lead Information Center (NLIC) for a list of contacts in
your area.
- Trained professionals use a range of methods when
checking your home, including:
- Visual inspection of paint condition and location.
- A portable x-ray fluorescence (XRF) machine.
- Lab tests of paint samples.
- Surface dust tests.
Note: Home test kits for lead are available, but studies
suggest that they are not always accurate. Consumers
should not rely on these tests before doing renovations or to
assure safety.
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What You Can
do to Protect Your Family
- If you suspect that your house has lead hazards, you can
take some immediate steps to reduce your family's risk:
- If you rent, notify your landlord of peeling or
chipping paint.
- Clean up paint chips immediately.
- Clean floors, window frames, window sills, and other
surfaces weekly. Use a mop, sponge, or paper towel with
warm water and a general all-purpose cleaner or a
cleaner made specifically for lead. REMEMBER: NEVER MIX
AMMONIA AND BLEACH PRODUCTS TOGETHER SINCE THEY CAN FORM
A DANGEROUS GAS.
- Thoroughly rinse sponges and mop heads after cleaning
dirty or dusty areas.
- Wash children's hands often, especially before they
eat and before nap time and bed time.
- Keep play areas clean. Wash bottles, pacifiers, toys,
and stuffed animals regularly.
- Keep children from chewing window sills or other
painted surfaces.
- Clean or remove shoes before entering your home to
avoid tracking in lead from soil.
- Make sure children eat nutritious, low-fat meals high
in iron and calcium, such as spinach and dairy products.
Children with good diets absorb less lead.
- In addition to day-to-day cleaning and good nutrition:
- You can temporarily reduce lead hazards by taking
actions such as repairing damaged painted surfaces and
planting grass to cover soil with high lead levels.
These actions (called "interim controls") are
not permanent solutions and will need ongoing attention.
- To permanently remove lead hazards, you must hire a
certified lead "abatement" contractor.
Abatement (or permanent hazard elimination) methods
include removing, sealing, or enclosing lead-based paint
with special materials. Just painting over the hazard
with regular paint is not enough.
- Always hire a person with special training for
correcting lead problems--someone who knows how to do
this work safely and has the proper equipment to clean
up thoroughly. Certified contractors will employ
qualified workers and follow strict safety rules set by
their state or the federal government.
- Contact the National Lead Information Center(NLIC) for
help with locating certified contractors in your area
and to see if financial assistance is available.
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Are You Planning
to Buy or Rent a Home Built Before 1978?
Many houses and apartments built before 1978 have paint that
contains lead (called lead-based paint). Lead from paint, chips,
and dust can pose serious health hazards if not taken care of
properly.
Federal law requires that individuals receive certain
information before renting or buying a pre-1978 housing:
- Residential Lead-Based Paint Disclosure Program
- LANDLORDS have to disclose known information on
lead-based paint and lead-based paint hazards before
leases take effect. Leases must include a disclosure
form about lead-based paint.
- SELLERS have to disclose known information on
lead-based paint and lead-based paint hazards before
selling a house. Sales contracts must include a
disclosure form about lead-based paint. Buyers
have up to 10 days to check for lead hazards.
- More information on the disclosure program.
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Remodeling
or Renovating a Home with Lead-Based Paint
*If not conducted properly, certain types of renovations can
release lead from paint and dust into the air.*
Many houses and apartments built before 1978 have paint that
contains lead (called lead-based paint). Lead from paint, chips,
and dust can pose serious health hazards if not taken care of
properly.
- Federal law requires that contractors provide lead
information to residents before renovating a pre-1978
housing:
- Pre-Renovation Education Program (PRE)
- RENOVATORS have to give you a pamphlet titled
“Protect Your Family from Lead in Your Home”,
before starting work.
- More information on the Pre-Renovation Education
Program.
- Take precautions before your contractor or you begin
remodeling or renovations that disturb painted surfaces
(such as scraping off paint or tearing out walls):
- Have the area tested for lead-based paint.
- Do not use a belt-sander, propane torch, heat gun, dry
scraper, or dry sandpaper to remove lead-based paint.
These actions create large amounts of lead dust and
fumes.
- Lead dust can remain in your home long after the work
is done.
- Temporarily move your family (especially children and
pregnant women) out of the apartment or house until the
work is done and the area is properly cleaned. If you
can't move your family, at least completely seal off the
work area.
- Follow other safety measures to reduce lead hazards.
You can find out about other safety measures in the EPA
brochure titled "Reducing
Lead Hazards When Remodeling Your Home".
This brochure explains what to do before, during, and
after renovations.
- If you have already completed renovations or
remodeling that could have released lead-based paint or
dust, get your young children tested and follow the
steps outlined to protect your family.
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Additional
Resources
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