The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is sponsoring National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week, October 19-25, 2008. Properties built prior to 1978 most likely have lead based paint and there are some things to be aware of. However, concerns about lead in the home should not be confined to paint chips. There can be lead in the water, lead paint in bathrooms on old painted claw tubs and elsewhere. New rules regarding renovating and protecting yourself from lead in the home are scheduled to become effective early next year and the following is from the EPA website.
"Let's Wipe Out Lead Poisoning-Renovate Right!" -- highlights EPA's new rule to protect families from the dangers of lead dust resulting from renovations and everyday painting and repairs. The rule requires the use of lead-safe paint removal practices to ensure that activities such as sanding, cutting, and demolition do not disburse harmful lead dust into a family's air, food and clothing. Learn how the renovation, repair and painting rule can help to protect your family.
Lead Paint Hazards (PDF) (91 pp, 1.5 MB).
Renovation, Repair and Painting
Common renovation activities like sanding, cutting, and demolition can create hazardous lead dust and chips by disturbing lead-based paint, which can be harmful to adults and children.
To protect against this risk, on March 31, 2008, EPA issued a rule requiring the use of lead-safe practices and other actions aimed at preventing lead poisoning. Under the rule, beginning in April 2010, contractors performing renovation, repair and painting projects that disturb lead-based paint in homes, child care facilities, and schools built before 1978 must be certified and must follow specific work practices to prevent lead contamination. Until that time, EPA recommends that anyone performing renovation, repair, and painting projects that disturb lead-based paint in pre-1978 homes, child care facilities and schools follow lead-safe work practices.
- All contractors should follow these three simple procedures:
- Contain the work area.
- Minimize dust.
- Clean up thoroughly.
Read more information about EPA's renovation, repair and painting rule and about lead-safe practices in the pamphlet Renovate Right: Important Lead Hazard Information for Families, Child Care Providers, and Schools (PDF) (20 pp, 3.3MB). En español (PDF) (20 pp, 3.2MB)
Read about lead-safe work practices for contractors in the EPA pamphlet Contractors: Lead Safety During Renovation (PDF) color, in English (2 pp, 826K) | color, en español (PDF) (2 pp, 334K) | HTML version | Other formats
Read about how to comply with EPA's rule in the EPA Small Entity Compliance Guide to Renovate Right (PDF) (34 pp, 2.5MB).
Learn How You Can Prevent Lead Poisoning
Become familiar with the EPA Lead Awareness Program and the following resources:
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Education and outreach brochures provide information to parents and children on the importance of testing children for lead, testing homes and working safely when lead is present in the home environment.
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Information and brochures en español:
- El medio ambiente y su salud: Plomo
- Combata el envenenamiento con plomo con una dieta saludable (PDF) (10 pp, 230K)
- Proteja a su familia en contra del plomo en su casa (PDF) (16 pp, 649K)
- Reduccion de los riesgos de contaminación por plomo cuando remodelar su casa (PDF) (26 pp, 412K)
- Cartel "El envenenamiento por el plomo y sus niños" (PDF) (para leer el cartel imprimirolo) (2 pp, 167K)
- Déle A Su Niño La Oportunidad De Su Vida, Mantenga A Su Niño Libre Del Plomo (PDF) (6 pp, 436K)
- Protect Your Family From Lead in Your Home
- Vietnamese (PDF) (16 pp, 946K)
- Russian (PDF) (17 pp, 665K)
- Arabic (PDF) (17 pp, 611K)
You should also become familiar with Rules and Regulations, such as the Disclosure Rule. This rule requires persons selling or leasing housing constructed before 1978 to disclose known lead-based paint and/or lead-based paint hazards during all real-estate transactions.
Testing for Lead
To protect children, parents should ask their health care providers about testing children for high levels of lead in the blood. Homeowners may contact the National Lead Information Center at 1-800-424-LEAD (5323) for information on how to find professionals to test houses for lead. Tenants can also consult with their landlords regarding testing pre-1978 residences when there are signs of deteriorating lead-based paint.
Lead in Drinking Water
Lead may be found in household plumbing materials and water service lines. Lead is rarely found in source water but enters tap water through corrosion of plumbing materials. Homes built before 1986 are more likely to have lead pipes, joints, and solder. However, new homes are also at risk: even legally "lead-free" plumbing may contain up to eight percent lead. The most common problem is with brass or chrome-plated brass faucets and fixtures which can leach significant amounts of lead into the water, especially hot water. Read more about lead in drinking water.
EPA is concerned about the potential for elevated lead levels in the drinking water of schools and child care centers. Exposure to lead is a significant health concern, especially for young children and infants whose growing bodies tend to absorb more lead than the average adult. Drinking water is one possible source of lead exposure. Testing water in schools and child care facilities is important because children spend a significant portion of their days in these facilities, and they are likely to consume water while there. Read more about lead in drinking water in schools and child care facilities.
Other Resources
Other federal agencies, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Housing and Urban Development, plan to conduct various education and awareness events for Lead Poisoning Prevention Week. Learn more about other National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week activities across the United States.
For more information about Lead Poisoning Prevention Week or lead poisoning in general, contact the National Lead Information Center at 1-800-424-LEAD (5323) or see EPA's Lead Website.
Consumers can be exposed to lead from paint.
Eating paint chips is one way young children are exposed to lead. It is not the most common way that consumers, in general, are exposed to lead. Ingesting and inhaling lead dust that is created as lead-based paint "chalks," chips, or peels from deteriorated surfaces can expose consumers to lead. Walking on small paint chips found on the floor, or opening and closing a painted frame window, can also create lead dust. Other sources of lead include deposits that may be present in homes after years of use of leaded gasoline and from industrial sources like smelting. Consumers can also generate lead dust by sanding lead-based paint or by scraping or heating lead-based paint.
Lead dust can settle on floors, walls, and furniture. Under these conditions, children can ingest lead dust from hand-to-mouth con- tact or in food. Settled lead dust can re-enter the air through cleaning, such as sweeping or vacuuming, or by movement of people throughout the house.
