Childhood lead poisoning remains a major environmen- tal health problem in the U.S.

Even children who appear healthy can have danger- ous levels of lead in their bodies.

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 under the age of 6:

At this age 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 is also dangerous to women of childbearing age:

Women with a high lead level in their system prior to pregnancy would expose a fetus to lead through the placenta during fetal development.

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:

Nervous system and kidney damage.

Learning disabilities, attention deficit disorder, and decreased intelligence.

Speech, language, and behavior problems.

Poor muscle coordination.

Decreased muscle and bone growth.

Hearing damage.

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.

In adults, lead can cause:

Increased chance of illness during pregnancy.

Harm to a fetus, including brain damage or death.

Fertility problems (in men and women).

High blood pressure

Digestive problems

Nerve disorders

Memory and concentration problems Muscle and joint pain

Brain or Nerve Damage

Reproductive Problems (Adults)

Lead affects the body in many ways.

In general, the older your home, the more likely it has lead-based 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.)

Get your children and home tested if you think your home has high lev- els of lead.

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.

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 from paint chips, which you can see, and lead dust, which you can't always see, can both be serious hazards.

Just knowing that a home has lead- based paint may not tell you if there is a hazard.

You can get your home tested for lead in several different ways:

A paint inspection tells you whether your home has lead-based paint and where it is located. It won’t tell you whether or not your home currently has lead hazards.

A risk assessment tells you if your home currently has any lead hazards from lead in paint, dust, or soil. It also tells you what actions to take to address any hazards.

A combination risk assessment and inspection tells you if your home has any lead hazards and if your home has any lead-based paint, and where the lead-based paint is located.

Hire a trained and certified testing professional who will use a range of reliable

methods when testing your home.

Visual inspection of paint condition and location.

A portable x-ray fluorescence (XRF) machine.

Lab tests of paint, dust, and soil samples.

There are state and federal programs in place to ensure that testing is done safely, reliably, and effectively. Contact your state or local agency (see bottom of page 11) 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.

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.

8

In addition to day-to-day cleaning and good nutrition:

You can temporarily reduce lead hazards by taking actions such as repairing dam- aged painted surfaces and planting grass to cover soil with high lead levels. These actions (called "interim controls") are not permanent solutions and will need ongo- ing attention.

To permanently remove lead hazards, you should hire a certified lead "abate- ment" contractor. Abatement (or perma- nent 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 state or local agency (see bottom of page 11) for help in locating certified professionals in your area and to see if financial assistance is available.

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, high temperature 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 (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 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.

If you have already completed renova- tions or remodeling that could have released lead-based paint or dust, get your young children tested and follow the steps outlined on page 7 of this brochure.

If not conducted properly, certain types of renovations can release lead from paint and dust into the air.

While paint, dust, and soil are the most common sources of lead, other lead sources also exist.

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 "great" and "azarcon" used to treat an upset stomach.

EPA Regional Offices

Region 1 (Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island,

Vermont)

Regional Lead Contact U.S. EPA Region 1 Suite 1100 (CPT)

One Congress Street Boston, MA 02114-2023 1 (888) 372-7341

Region 2 (New Jersey, New York,

Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands) Regional Lead Contact U.S. EPA Region 2

2890 Woodbridge Avenue

Building 209, Mail Stop 225 Edison, NJ 08837-3679 (732) 321-6671

Region 3 (Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington

DC, West Virginia) Regional Lead Contact

U.S. EPA Region 3 (3WC33) 1650 Arch Street Philadelphia, PA 19103 (215) 814-5000

Region 4 (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina,

South Carolina, Tennessee) Regional Lead Contact

U.S. EPA Region 4 61 Forsyth Street, SW Atlanta, GA 30303 (404) 562-8998

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

Region 6 (Arkansas, Louisiana, New

Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas) Regional Lead Contact U.S. EPA Region 6

1445 Ross Avenue, 12th Floor Dallas, TX 75202-2733

(214) 665-7577

Region 7 (Iowa, Kansas, Missouri,

Nebraska)

Regional Lead Contact U.S. EPA Region 7 (ARTD-RALI)

901 N. 5th Street Kansas City, KS 66101

(913) 551-7020

Region 8 (Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah,

Wyoming)

Regional Lead Contact U.S. EPA Region 8

999 18th Street, Suite 500

Denver, CO 80202-2466 (303) 312-6021

Region 9 (Arizona, California, Hawaii,

Nevada)

Regional Lead Contact U.S. EPA Region 9

75 Hawthorne Street San Francisco, CA 94105

(415) 947-4164

Region 10 (Alaska, Idaho, Oregon,

Washington,)

Regional Lead Contact U.S. EPA Region 10

Toxics Section WCM-128 1200 Sixth Avenue

Seattle, WA 98101-1128 (206) 553-1985