Protect Your Family From Lead in the Home EPA 747-K-94-001

1 ProtectYourFamilyFromLead inYourHomeUnited States Environmental ProtectionAgencyUnited States ConsumerProduct Safety EPA Washington DC CPSC Washington DC 20207 May 8/8/95 3:18 PM Page 3 Many houses and apartments built before 1978 havepaint that contains lead (called lead-based paint). Leadfrom paint, chips, and dust can pose serious health hazards if not taken care of properly. By 1996, federal law will require that individuals receive certaininformation before renting, buying, or renovating pre-1978 housing:LANDLORDS will have to disclose knowninformation on lead-based paint hazardsbefore leases take effect. Leases willinclude a federal form about have to disclose known infor-mation on lead-based paint hazards beforeselling a house. Sales contracts will includea federal form about lead-based paint inthe building. Buyers will have up to 10days to check for lead hazards.

2 RENOVATORS will have to give you this pamphlet before starting work. IF YOU WANT MORE INFORMATIONon these requirements, call the National Lead Information Clearinghouseat You Planning To Buy, Rent, or Renovatea Home Built Before 1978?This document is in the public domain. It may be reproduced by an individualor organization without permission. Information provided in this booklet isbased upon current scientific and technical understanding of the issues present-ed and is reflective of the jurisdictional boundaries established by the statutesgoverning the co-authoring agencies. Following the advice given will not neces-sarily provide complete protection in all situations or against all health hazardsthat can be caused by lead 8/8/95 3:18 PM Page 4 IMPORTANT!Lead From Paint, Dust, andSoil Can Be Dangerous If NotManaged Properly FACT:Lead exposure can harm young children and babies even before theyare :Even children that seem healthy canhave high levels of lead in their :People can get lead in their bodies bybreathing or swallowing lead dust, orby eating soil or paint chips with lead in :People have many options for reducinglead hazards.

3 In most cases, lead-basedpaint that is in good condition is not a :Removing lead-based paint improperlycan increase the danger to your you think your home might have lead hazards, read this pamphlet to learn some simple steps to Protect your 8/8/95 3:18 PM Page 5u2 People can get lead in their body if they:uPut their hands or other objects covered with lead dust in their paint chips or soil that in lead dust (especially duringrenovations that disturb painted surfaces).Lead is even more dangerous to childrenthan adults because:uBabies and young children often puttheir hands and other objects in theirmouths. These objects can have leaddust on s growing bodies absorb s brains and nervous systemsare more sensitive to the damagingeffects of Gets in the Body in Many Ways1 out ofevery 11children inthe UnitedStates hasdangerouslevels of leadin the blood -stream.

4 Even childrenwho appearhealthy canhave dangerouslevels of 8/8/95 3:19 PM Page 6u3 Lead s EffectsIf not detected early, children with high levels of lead in their bodies can sufferfrom:uDamage to the brain and nervous systemuBehavior and learning problems (such as hyperactivity)uSlowed growthuHearing problemsuHeadachesLead is also harmful to can suffer from:uDifficulties during pregnancyuOther reproductive problems (inboth men and women)uHigh blood pressureuDigestive problemsuNerve disordersuMemory and concentrationproblemsuMuscle and joint painLead affects thebody in 8/8/95 3:19 PM Page 7u4A simple blood test can detect high levelsof tests are important for:uChildren who are 6 months to 1 yearold (6 months if you live in an olderhome with cracking or peeling paint).uFamily members that you think mighthave high levels of your child is older than 1 year, talk toyour doctor about whether your childneeds doctor or health center can do bloodtests.

5 They are inexpensive and sometimesfree. your doctor will explain what the testresults mean. Treatment can range fromchanges in your diet to medication or ahospital homes built before 1978 have lead-based paint. The federal governmentbanned lead-based paint from housing in1978. Some states stopped its use evenearlier. Lead can be found:uIn homes in the city, country, or apartments, single- Family homes,and both private and public andoutside of the house. uIn soil around a home. (Soil can pick uplead from exterior paint, or othersources such as past use of leaded gasin cars.)Get your children tested if youthink yourhome hashigh levels of your Family for Lead Where Lead-Based Paint Is FoundIn general,the olderyour home,the morelikely it haslead-basedpaint. 8/8/95 3:19 PM Page 8u5 Lead-based paintthat is in good conditionis usually not a , chipping, chalking, or crackinglead-based paintis a hazard and needsimmediate paint may also be a hazardwhen found on surfaces that children canchew or that get a lot of areas include:uWindows and window and door , railings, and and dustcan form when lead-based paintis dry scraped, dry sanded, or heated.

6 Dustalso forms when painted surfacesbump or rub together. Lead chipsand dust can get on surfaces andobjects that people touch. Settledlead dust can reenter the air whenpeople vacuum, sweep, or walkthrough in soilcan be a hazard whenchildren play in bare soil or whenpeople bring soil into the house ontheir shoes. Call your state agency(see page 12) to find out about soiltesting for Lead Is Likely To Be a HazardLead frompaint chips,which youcan see, andlead dust,which youcan t alwayssee, can bothbe serious hazards 8/8/95 3:19 PM Page 9u6 You can get your home checked for leadhazards in one of two ways, or both:uA paint inspectiontells you the lead content of every painted surface in yourhome. It won t tell you whether the paint is a hazard or how you should deal with risk assessmenttells you if there areany sources of serious lead exposure(such as peeling paint and lead dust).

7 Italso tells you what actions to take toaddress these qualified professionals do the federal government is writing standards forinspectors and risk assessors. Some states mightalready have standards in your stateagency for help with locating qualified pro-fessionals in your area (see page 12). Trained professionals use a range of meth-ods when checking your home, including:uVisual inspection of paint condition tests of paint dust portable x-ray fluorescence test kits for lead are available, butrecent studies suggest that they are notalways accurate. Consumers should not relyon these tests before doing renovations or toassure your Home for Lead HazardsJust knowingthat a homehas lead-based paintmay not tellyou if there is a 8/8/95 3:19 PM Page 10u7If you suspect that your house has leadhazards, you can take some immediatesteps to reduce your Family s risk:uIf you rent, notify your landlord of peel-ing or chipping up paint chips floors, window frames, windowsills, and other surfaces weekly.

8 Use amop or sponge with warm water and ageneral all-purpose cleaner or a cleanermade specifically for lead. REMEMBER:NEVER MIX AMMONIA AND BLEACH PRODUCTS TOGETHER SINCE THEYCAN form A DANGEROUS rinse sponges and mopheads after cleaning dirty or dustyareas. uWash children s hands often, especiallybefore they eat and before nap timeand bed play areas bottles,pacifiers, toys, and stuffed animals children from chewing windowsills or other painted or remove shoes before enteringyour home to avoid tracking in leadfrom sure children eat nutritious, low-fat meals high in iron and calcium, such asspinach and low-fat dairy products. Children with gooddiets absorb less You Can Do Now To Protect your 8/8/95 3:20 PM Page 11u8In addition to day-to-day cleaning andgood nutrition:uYou can temporarilyreduce lead haz-ards by taking actions such as repairingdamaged painted surfaces and plantinggrass to cover soil with high lead actions (called interim controls )are not permanent solutions and willneed ongoing permanentlyremove lead hazards,you must hire a lead abatement contractor.

9 Abatement (or permanenthazard elimination) methods includeremoving, sealing, or enclosing lead-based paint with special materials. Justpainting over the hazard with regularpaint is not enough. Always hire a person with special trainingfor correcting lead problems someone whoknows how to do this work safely and has the proper equipment to clean up thoroughly. If possible, hire a certified leadabatement contractor. Certified contractorswill employ qualified workers and followstrict safety rules as set by their state or bythe federal your state agency (see page 12) forhelp with locating qualified contractors inyour area and to see if financial assistanceis To Significantly Reduce Lead HazardsRemovinglead improperlycan increasethe hazard toyour familyby spreadingeven morelead dustaround thehouse. Always use a professional whois trained toremove lead hazards 8/8/95 3:20 PM Page 12u9 Take precautions before you begin remod-eling or renovations that disturb paintedsurfaces (such as scraping off paint or tear-ing out walls): uHave the area tested for not use a dry scraper, belt-sander,propane torch, or heat gunto removelead-based paint.

10 These actions createlarge amounts of lead dust and dust can remain in your homelong after the work is move your Family (espe-cially children and pregnant women)out of the apartment or house until the work is done and the area is prop-erly cleaned. If you can t move yourfamily, at least completely seal off thework other safety measures to reducelead can find out aboutother safety measures by calling 1-800-424-LEAD. Ask for the brochure Reducing Lead Hazards WhenRemodeling your Home. This brochureexplains what to do before, during, and after renovations..If you have already completed renova-tions or remodeling that could havereleased lead-based paint or dust, getyour young children tested and followthe steps outlined on page 7 of or Renovating a Home WithLead-Based PaintIf not conductedproperly, certain typesof renovationscan releaselead frompaint and dustinto the air.