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Lead Hazards In The Home Protect Your Family Homes Before 1978 Hazard Warnings Lead in the Body Lead's Effects Extreme Poisoning Testing Your Family Lead-Based Paint Lead in buildings Checking Your Home What You Can Do How to Reduce Lead Remodeling Other Lead Sources Help Numbers Government EPA Offices Lead in Drinking Water Tests for Lead Contamination in Water More Information InspectAPedia Home & Site Map Air Conditioning InspectAPedia Bookstore Electrical Environment Exteriors Heating Home Inspection Insulate Ventilate Interiors Mold Inspect/Test Plumbing Water Septic Roofing Structure Accuracy & Bias Pledge Contact Us |
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By offering simple steps to protect your family from lead poisoning, this document outlines the U.S. CPSC's excellent advice for reducing the risk of lead poisoning for families living in homes where lead exposure is suspected, likely, or actually confirmed by testing. The CPSC document is public domain; I have made additions to the technical depth of this article and provided links to additional important detail about lead hazard - these are indicated by a [bracketed note in italics]. The additional text or commentary, website design, links, and references are © Copyright 2008 Daniel Friedman, All Rights Reserved. Information Accuracy & Bias Pledge is at below-left. Use the links at page left to navigate this document or to go to Other Website Topics. Green links at left show where you are in our document & website.
Consumer Product Safety Commission
Protect Your Family from Lead in Your Home
CPSC Document #426
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Washington, DC 20460
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Washington, DC 20207
EPA747-K-94-001
May 1995
If you think your home has high levels of lead:
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. By 1996, federal law will require that individuals receive certain information before renting, buying, or renovating pre-1978 housing:
LANDLORDS will have to disclose known information on lead-based paint hazards before leases take effect. Leases will include a federal form about lead-based paint.
SELLERS will have to disclose known information on lead-based paint hazards before selling a house. Sales contracts will include a federal form about lead-based paint in the building. Buyers will have up to 10 days to check for lead hazards.
RENOVATORS will have to give you this pamphlet before starting work.
If you want more information on these requirements, call the National Lead Information Clearinghouse at 1-800-424-LEAD.
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 that 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 with lead in them.
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.
1 out of every 11 children in the United States has dangerous levels of lead in the bloodstream.
Even children who appear healthy can have dangerous levels of lead.
People can get lead in their body if they:
If not detected early, children with high levels of lead in their bodies can suffer from:
Lead is also harmful to adults. Adults can suffer from:
[The Following Addendum by DJ Friedman inserted 2/6/2006]
The Times article (cited below) reports on the U.N. placement of a large number of Roma refugees in camps in the north part of Kosovo and located within 200 yards of large mounds of industrial waste containing lead smelting byproducts. 100,000 to 130,000 people are believed affected by lead poisoning in this area. Increased vulnerability to lead poisoning occurs where overall health conditions are poor, such as in these camps. Tests found that all of the children had high levels of lead and other metals: antimony, arsenic, cadmium, and manganese. The article reports that a test specialist asserted that this population showed the highest levels of lead ever measured in human hair samples [Dietrich-Runow in email to the Times]. In what appear [to DF and suggested by the article] to be extreme cases of lead poisoning, the Times reported the following symptoms and complaints, focused on symptoms appearing in children, though adults were also severely affected:
Reference: "Displaced Gypsies at Risk from Lead in Kosovo Camps," Nicholas Wood, New York Times, 5 February 2006 p5.
Get your children tested if you think your home has high levels of lead.
A simple blood test can detect high levels of lead. Blood tests are important for:
If your child is older than 1 year, talk to your doctor about whether your child needs testing.
Your doctor or health center can do blood tests. They are inexpensive and sometimes free. Your doctor will explain what the test results mean. Treatment can range from changes in your diet to medication or a hospital stay.
In general, the older your home, the more likely it has lead-based paint.
Many homes built before 1978 have lead-based paint. In 1978, the federal government banned lead-based paint from housing. Lead can be found:
OPINION-DF: I have a special concern for both the hazards to house painters who often do not take precautions to protect themselves, and for homes that are re-painted without following good housekeeping and lead dust or lead paint chip control. I recommend insisting that your painter wear appropriate protection while working on your home and that dropcloths be used to collect sanding and paint chips containing lead dust when the home is being prepared for re-painting. If this debris is left on the soil it may form a soil-lead contamination hazard to children later playing in the area close to the building.
Lead from paint chips, which you can see, and lead dust, which you can't always see, can both be serious hazards.
Lead-based paint that is in good condition is usually not a hazard. [DF-note: see comments at my other lead articles cited below, about lead painted window sash dust and toddler lead ingestion]
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:
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 reenter 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. Call your state agency (see below) to find out about soil testing for lead.
Just knowing that a home has lead-based paint may not tell you if there is a hazard.
You can get your home checked for lead hazards in one of two ways, or both:
Have qualified professionals do the work. The federal government is writing standards for inspectors and risk assessors. Some states might already have standards in place. Call your state agency for help with locating qualified professionals in your area (see below).
Trained professionals use a range of methods when checking your home, including:
Home test kits for lead are available, but the federal government is still testing their reliability. These tests should not be the only method used 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:
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.
In addition to day-to-day cleaning and good nutrition:
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. If possible, hire a certified lead abatement contractor. Certified contractors will employ qualified workers and follow strict safety rules as set by their state or by the federal government.
Call your state agency (see below) for help with locating qualified contractors in your area and to see if financial assistance is available.
If not conducted properly, certain types of renovations can release lead from paint and dust into the air.
Take precautions before you begin remodeling or renovations that disturb painted surfaces (such as scraping off paint or tearing out walls):
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 above.
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 clothes separately from the rest of your family's.
The National Lead Information Center
Call 1-800-LEAD-FYI to learn how to protect children from lead poisoning.
For other information on lead hazards, call the center's clearinghouse at 1-800-424-LEAD. For the hearing impaired, call, TDD 1-800-526-5456 (FAX: 202-659-1192, Internet: EHC@CAIS.COM).
EPA's Safe Drinking Water Hotline
Call 1-800-426-4791 for information about lead in drinking water.
Consumer Product Safety Commission 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. (Internet: info@cpsc.gov). For the hearing impaired, call TDD 1-800-638-8270.
Some cities and states have their own rules for lead-based paint activities. Check with your state agency (listed below) to see if state or local laws apply to you. Most state 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.
State/Region Phone Number
Alabama N/A Alaska (907) 465-5152 Arkansas 501) 661-2534 Arizona (602) 542-7307 California (510) 450-2424 Colorado (303) 692-3012 Connecticut (203) 566-5808 Washington, DC (202) 727-9850 Delaware (302) 739-4735 Florida (904) 488-3385 Georgia (404) 657-6514 Hawaii (808) 832-5860 Idaho (208) 332-5544 Illinois (800) 545-2200 Indiana (317) 382-6662 Iowa (800) 972-2026 Kansas (913) 296-0189 Kentucky (502) 564-2154 Louisiana (504) 765-0219 Massachusetts (800) 532-9571 Maryland (410) 631-3859 Maine (207) 287-4311 Michigan (517) 335-8885 Minnesota (612) 627-5498 Mississippi (601) 960-7463 Missouri (314) 526-4911 Montana (406) 444-3671 Nebraska (205) 242-5661 Nevada (702) 687-6615 New Hampshire (603) 271-4507 New Jersey (609) 633-2043 New York (800) 458-1158 New Mexico (505) 841-8024 North Carolina (919) 715-3293 North Dakota (701) 328-5188 Ohio (614) 466-1450 Oklahoma (405) 271-5220 Oregon (503) 248-5240 Pennsylvania (717) 782-2884 Rhode Island (401) 277-3424 South Carolina (803) 935-7945 South Dakota (605) 773-3153 Tennessee (615) 741-5683 Texas (512) 834-6600 Utah (801) 536-4000 Vermont (802) 863-7231 Virginia (505) 841-8024 Washington (206) 753-2556 West Virginia (304) 558-2981 Wisconsin (608) 266-5885 Wyoming (307) 777-7391
Your Regional EPA Office can provide further information regarding regulations and lead protection programs.
Region 1 (Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont) John F. Kennedy Federal Building One Congress Street Boston, MA 02203 (617) 565-3420 Region 2 (New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands) Building 5 2890 Woodbridge Avenue Edison, NJ 08837-3679 (908) 321-6671 Region 3 (Delaware, Washington DC, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia) 841 Chestnut Building Philadelphia, PA 19107 (215) 597-9800 Region 4 (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee) 345 Courtland Street, NE Atlanta, GA 30365 (404) 347-4727 Region 5 (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin) 77 West Jackson Boulevard Chicago, IL 60604-3590 (312) 886-6003 Region 6 (Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas) First Interstate Bank Tower 1445 Ross Avenue, 12th Floor, Suite 1200 Dallas, TX 75202-2733 (214) 665-7244 Region 7 (Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska) 726 Minnesota Avenue Kansas City, KS 66101 (913) 551-7020 Region 8 (Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Wyoming) 999 18th Street, Suite 500 Denver, CO 80202-2405 (303) 293-1603 Region 9 (Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada) 75 Hawthorne Street San Francisco, CA 94105 (415) 744-1124 Region 10 (Idaho, Oregon, Washington, Alaska) 1200 Sixth Avenue Seattle, WA 98101 (206) 553-1200 CPSC REGIONAL OFFICES U.S. CPSC Eastern Regional Center 201 Varick Street, Room 903 New York, NY 10014-4811 Tele. (212) 620-4120 Fax: (212) 620-5388 U.S. CPSC Central Regional Center 230 South Dearborn Street, Room 2944 Chicago, IL 60604-1601 (312) 353-8260 U.S. CPSC Western Regional Center 1301 Clay Street, Suite 610 N Oakland, CA 94612 Tele. (510) 637-4050 Fax: (510) 637-4060
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Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, Repair, & Problem Prevention Advice
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| InspectAPedia Home |
| | Air Conditioning |
| | Electrical | | | Environment | | | Exteriors | | | Heating | | | Home Inspection |
| | Insulate Ventilate |
| | Interiors | | | Mold Inspect/Test |
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| | Roofing | | | Structure | | | Contact Us |
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Lead Hazards CPSC426 More Information InspectAPedia TM Home & Site Map Air Conditioning InspectAPedia Bookstore Electrical Environment Exteriors Heating Home Inspection Insulate Ventilate Interiors Mold Inspect/Test Plumbing Water Septic Roofing Structure Accuracy & Bias Pledge Contact Us |
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05/04/07 - 03/28/95 - www.inspect-ny.com/hazmat/leadCPSC426.htm - Web page design & content © 2007 Daniel Friedman All Rights Reserved
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