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FACT: Lead
exposure can harm young children and babies even before they are
born.
FACT: Even children who seem
healthy can have high levels of lead in their bodies.
FACT: People can get lead in
their bodies by breathing or swallowing lead dust, or by eating
soil or paint chips containing lead.
FACT: People have many options
for reducing lead hazards. In most cases, lead-based paint that is
in good condition is not a hazard.
FACT: Removing lead-based
paint improperly can increase the danger to your family.
If you think your home might have lead hazards, read this
information to learn some simple steps to protect your family.
People can get lead in their body if
they:
- Breathe in lead dust (especially during renovations that disturb
painted surfaces).
- Put their hands or other objects covered with lead dust in their
mouths.
- Eat paint chips or soil that contains lead.
Lead is even more dangerous to children
than adults because:
- Children’s brains and nervous systems are more sensitive to the
damaging effects of lead.
- Children’s growing bodies absorb more lead.
- Babies and young children often put their hands and other
objects in their mouths. These objects can have lead dust on them.
Lead Gets in the Body in Many Ways:
Childhood lead poisoning remains a major environmental health
problem in the U.S. Even children who appear healthy can have
dangerous levels of lead in their bodies.
Lead’s effects:
If not detected early, children with high levels of lead in their
bodies can suffer from:
- Damage to the brain and nervous system
- Behavior and learning problems (such as hyperactivity)
- Slowed growth
- Hearing problems
- Headaches
Lead is also harmful to adults.
Adults can suffer from:
- Difficulties during pregnancy
- Other reproductive problems (in both men and women)
- High blood pressure
- Digestive problems
- Nerve disorders
- Memory and concentration problems
- Muscle and joint pain
Lead affects the body in many
ways:
- Brain or nerve damage
- Slowed growth
- Hearing problems
- Reproductive problems
- Digestive problems
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.)
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.
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 usually
recommended for:
- Children at ages 1 and 2.
- Children or 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.
Get your children and home tested if you think your home has high
levels of lead.
Checking your family for lead where
lead-based paint is found:
In general, the older your home, the more likely it has lead-based
paint. Lead-based paint is usually not a hazard if it is in good
condition, and it is not on an impact or friction surface, like a
window. It is defined by the federal government as paint with lead
levels greater than or equal to 1.0 milligram per square
centimeter, or more than 0.5% by weight. Deteriorating lead-based
paint (peeling, chipping, chalking, cracking or damaged) is a
hazard and needs immediate attention. It may also be a hazard when
found on surfaces that children can chew or that get a lot of
wear-and-tear, such as:
- Windows and window sills.
- Doors and door frames.
- Stairs, railings, banisters, and porches.
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. The following two federal standards have been set for
lead hazards in dust:
- 40 micrograms per square foot (μg/ft2) and higher for floors,
including carpeted floors.
- 250 μg/ft2 and higher for interior window sills.
Lead in soil can be a hazard when children play in bare soil or
when people bring soil into the house on their shoes. The
following two federal standards have been set for lead hazards in
residential soil:
- 400 parts per million (ppm) and higher in play areas of bare
soil.
- 1,200 ppm (average) and higher in bare soil in the remainder of
the yard.
The only way to find out if paint, dust and soil lead hazards
exist is to test for them. Lead from paint chips, which you can
see, and lead dust, which you can’t always see, can both be
serious hazards.
Identifying lead hazards:
You can get your home checked for lead 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.
Hire a trained, certified professional who will use a range of
reliable methods when checking your home, such as:
- Visual inspection of paint condition and location.
- A portable x-ray fluorescence (XRF) machine.
- Lab tests of paint, dust, and soil samples.
There are standards in place to ensure the work is done safely,
reliably, and effectively.
Contact your local lead poisoning prevention program for more
information, or call 1-800-424-LEAD for a list of contacts in your
area.
Home test kits for lead are available, but may not always be
accurate. Consumers should not rely on these tests before doing
renovations or to assure safety.
Checking your home for lead: just knowing that a home has
lead-based paint may not tell you if there is a hazard.
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 or sponge with warm water and a general
all-purpose cleaner or a cleaner made specifically for lead.
- 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.
What you can do now to protect your
family:
- 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 should 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 permanent removal. 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 as set by their
state or by the federal government.
Once the work is completed, dust cleanup activities must be
repeated until testing indicates that lead dust levels are below
the following:
- 40 micrograms per square foot (μg/ft2) for floors, including
carpeted floors;
- 250 μg/ft2 for interior windows sills; and
- 400 μg/ft2 for window troughs.
Call your local agency for help with locating certified
contractors in your area and to see if financial assistance is
available.
Reducing lead hazards in the home:
Removing lead improperly can increase the hazard to your family by
spreading even more lead dust around the house. Always use a
professional who is trained to remove lead hazards safely. Take
precautions before your contractor or you begin remodeling or
renovating anything that disturbs 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 by calling 1-800-424-LEAD.
Ask for the brochure “Reducing Lead Hazards When Remodeling Your
Home.” This brochure explains what to do before, during, and after
renovations.
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.
- 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.
Other sources of lead:
While paint, dust, and soil are the most common lead hazards,
other lead sources also exist.
If you think your home has high levels of
lead:
-Get your young children tested for lead, even if they
seem healthy.
-Wash children’s hands, bottles, pacifiers, and toys often.
-Make sure children eat healthy, low-fat foods.
-Get your home checked for lead hazards.
-Regularly clean floors, window sills, and other surfaces.
-Wipe soil off shoes before entering house.
-Talk to your landlord about fixing surfaces with peeling or
chipping paint.
-Take precautions to avoid exposure to lead dust when remodeling
or renovating (call 1-800-424-
LEAD for guidelines).
-Don’t use a belt-sander, propane torch, heat gun, dry scraper, or
dry sandpaper on painted surfaces
that may contain lead.
-Don’t try to remove lead-based paint yourself.
For More Information:
EPA Regional Offices - Region 5 (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan,
Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin)
Regional Lead Contact U.S. EPA Region 5 (DT-8J)
77 West Jackson Boulevard
Chicago, IL 60604-3666
(312) 886-6003 |
