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Did you know the following facts about lead?
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: You can get lead in your body by breathing
or swallowing lead dust, or by eating soil or paint chips
containing lead.
FACT: You 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 on to learn
about lead and some simple steps to protect your family. |
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Health Effects
of Lead
*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.*
- People can get lead in their body if they:
- Put their hands or other objects covered with lead dust in
their mouths.
- Eat paint chips or soil that contains lead.
- Breathe in lead dust (especially during renovations that
disturb painted surfaces).
- Lead is even more dangerous to children than adults because:
- Babies and young children often put their hands and other
objects in their mouths. These objects can have lead dust
on them.
- Children's growing bodies absorb more lead.
- Children's brains and nervous systems are more sensitive
to the damaging effects of lead.
- 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
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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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