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Protect Your Family From Lead In Your Home
United States Environmental Protection Agency | |
United States Consumer Product Safety Commission | |
Many houses and apartments built before 1978 have paint that contains high levels of lead (called leadbased paint). Lead from paint, chips, and dust can pose serious health hazards if not taken care of properly.
OWNERS, BUYERS, and RENTERS are encouraged to check for lead before renting, buying or renovating pre- 1978 housing.
Federal law requires that individuals receive certain information before renting, buying, or renovating pre-1978 housing:
LANDLORDS have to disclose known information on lead-based paint and lead-based paint hazards before leases take effect. Leases must include a disclosure 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 about lead-based paint. Buyers have up to 10 days to check for lead.
RENOVATORS disturbing more than 2 square feet of painted surfaces have to give you this pamphlet before starting work.
Lead From Paint, Dust, and Soil Can Be Dangerous If Not Managed Properly 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 pamphlet to learn some simple steps to protect your family. |
People can get lead in their body if they:
Lead is even more dangerous to children under the age of 6:
Lead is also dangerous to women of childbearing age:
Lead's Effects
It is important to know that even exposure to low levels of lead can severely harm children.
In children, lead can cause:
While low-lead exposure is most common, exposure to high levels of lead can have devastating effects on children, including seizures, unconsciousness, and, in some cases, death.
Although children are especially susceptible to lead exposure, lead can be dangerous for adults too.
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. |
In adults, lead can cause:
Many homes built before 1978 have leadbased paint. The federal government banned lead-based paint from housing in 1978. Some states stopped its use even earlier. Lead can be found:
In general, the older your home, the more likely it has leadbased paint. |
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.
Get your children and home tested if you think your home has high levels of lead. |
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:
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:
Lead dust can form when lead-based paint is scraped, 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:
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:
The only way to find out if paint, dust and soil lead hazards exist is to test for them. The next page describes the most common methods used.
Just knowing that a home has leadbased paint may not tell you if there is a hazard. |
You can get your home tested for lead in several different ways:
Hire a trained and certified testing professional who will use a range of reliable methods when testing your home.
There are state and federal programs in place to ensure that testing is done safely, reliably, and effectively. Contact your state or local agency for more information, or call 1-800-424-LEAD (5323) 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 kits before doing renovations or to assure safety.
If you suspect that your house has lead hazards, you can take some immediate steps to reduce your family’s risk:
In addition to day-to-day cleaning and good nutrition:
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. |
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:
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):
If not conducted properly, certain types of renovations can release lead from paint and dust into the air. |
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 in this brochure.
The National Lead Information Center
Call 1-800-424-LEAD (424-5323) to learn
how to protect children from lead poisoning
and for other information on lead hazards.
To access lead information via the web, visit
www.epa.gov/lead and www.hud.gov/offices/lead/.
EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline
Call 1-800-426-4791 for information about
lead in drinking water.
Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) Hotline
To request information on lead in
consumer products, or to report an
unsafe consumer product or a product-
related injury call 1-800-638-
2772, or visit CPSC's Web site at:
www.cpsc.gov.
Health and Environmental Agencies
Some cities, states, and tribes have
their own rules for lead-based paint
activities. Check with your local agency to
see which laws apply to you. Most agencies
can also provide information on finding a
lead abatement firm in your area, and on
possible sources of financial aid for reducing
lead hazards. Receive up-to-date address
and phone information for your local contacts
on the Internet at www.epa.gov/lead or contact the National Lead Information
Center at 1-800-424-LEAD.
For the hearing impaired, call the Federal Information Relay Service at 1-800-877-8339 to access any of the phone numbers in this brochure. |
Your Regional EPA Office can provide further information regarding regulations and lead protection programs.
Region 1 (Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont) Region 2 (New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands) Region 3 (Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington DC, West Virginia) Region 4 (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee) Region 5 (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin) |
Region 6 (Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas) Region 7 (Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska) Region 8 (Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Wyoming) Region 9 (Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada) Region 10 (Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Washington) |
Eastern Regional Center |
Central Regional Center |
Western Regional Center |
Please contact HUD's Office of Healthy Homes and Lead Hazard Control for information on lead regulations, outreach efforts, and lead hazard control and research grant programs.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Office of Healthy Homes and Lead Hazard Control
451 Seventh Street, SW, P-3206
Washington, DC 20410
(202) 755-1785
If you think your home has high levels of lead:
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This document is in the public domain. It may be reproduced by an individual or organization without permission. Information provided in this booklet is based upon current scientific and technical understanding of the issues presented and is reflective of the jurisdictional boundaries established by the statutes governing the co-authoring agencies. Following the advice given will not necessarily provide complete protection in all situations or against all health hazards that can be caused by lead exposure.
June 2003
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