HUD | EPA Lead Safety Information
Are you planning to buy or rent a home built before 1978?
Many homes built before 1978 have lead-based paint. Lead from paint, paint chips, dust, and soil can create serious health hazards. This information explains how lead gets into the body, how lead can affect health, what families can do to reduce risk, and where to get more information.
Before renting or buying a pre-1978 home
Federal law requires certain lead disclosures before renting or buying housing built before 1978. In general:
- Sellers must disclose known information about lead-based paint or lead-based paint hazards before selling a home.
- Real estate sales contracts must include a specific warning statement about lead-based paint.
- Buyers generally have up to 10 days to check for lead unless they waive or negotiate a different period.
- Landlords must disclose known information about lead-based paint and lead-based paint hazards before leases take effect.
- Leases for pre-1978 housing must include a specific warning statement about lead-based paint.
Simple steps to protect your family
- Do not try to remove lead-based paint yourself.
- Keep painted surfaces in good condition and repair peeling or chipping paint safely.
- If you rent, notify your landlord about peeling or chipping paint.
- Have the home checked by a certified lead professional if you are concerned about lead-based paint or lead hazards.
- Clean floors, window sills, window frames, and other surfaces regularly using wet cleaning methods.
- Carefully clean up paint chips right away without creating dust.
- Wash children’s hands, bottles, pacifiers, and toys often.
- Keep play areas clean and keep children from chewing window sills or other painted surfaces.
- Clean or remove shoes before entering the home to avoid tracking in lead from soil.
- Make sure children eat nutritious meals with foods high in iron, calcium, and vitamin C.
- When renovating, repairing, or painting in a pre-1978 home, use a Lead-Safe Certified firm approved by EPA or an EPA-authorized state, tribal, or local program.
How lead gets into the body
- People can breathe in lead dust, especially during renovation, repair, or painting that disturbs painted surfaces.
- People can swallow lead dust that has settled on food, food preparation surfaces, floors, window sills, toys, or hands.
- Children can eat paint chips or soil that contains lead.
Lead is especially dangerous for children under age 6 because their brains and nervous systems are more sensitive to lead, their growing bodies absorb more lead, and young children often put their hands and objects in their mouths. Lead can also harm a developing baby during pregnancy.
Health effects of lead
There is no known safe level of lead exposure. Even low levels of lead can harm children. Lead exposure in children can cause:
- Nervous system and kidney damage
- Learning disabilities, attention problems, and decreased intelligence
- Speech, language, and behavior problems
- Poor muscle coordination
- Decreased muscle and bone growth
- Hearing damage
- At high levels, seizures, unconsciousness, and in some cases death
Lead exposure can also affect adults. In adults, lead exposure can increase the risk of harm to a developing fetus, high blood pressure, fertility problems, digestive problems, nerve disorders, memory and concentration problems, and muscle and joint pain.
Testing children and homes for lead
- A blood test is the best way to find out if a child has been exposed to lead.
- Children who have been exposed to lead may look healthy and may not show symptoms.
- Talk with a health care provider or pediatrician about blood lead testing.
- A lead-based paint inspection can identify whether lead-based paint is present and where it is located.
- A risk assessment can identify whether lead hazards are present from paint, dust, or soil and what actions may be needed.
- A combined inspection and risk assessment can identify both lead-based paint and current lead hazards.
Where lead may be found
- Homes and child care facilities built before 1978 are more likely to contain lead-based paint.
- Lead may be found inside or outside a home, in private or public housing, in single-family homes, apartments, and child care facilities.
- Lead may be found in soil around the home from exterior paint or past use of leaded gasoline.
- Lead-based paint is usually not a hazard if it is in good condition and is not on a surface that gets impact, friction, or chewing.
- Deteriorated paint, including peeling, chipping, chalking, cracking, or damaged paint, needs prompt attention.
- Common surfaces of concern include windows and window sills, doors and door frames, stairs, railings, banisters, and porches.
Renovation, repair, or painting in pre-1978 homes
Renovation, repair, or painting can create lead dust if it disturbs surfaces with lead-based paint. If you hire a contractor for work in a pre-1978 home or child care facility, the contractor must generally:
- Be a Lead-Safe Certified firm approved by EPA or an EPA-authorized program.
- Use trained workers who follow lead-safe work practices.
- Provide EPA lead hazard information, such as The Lead-Safe Certified Guide to Renovate Right.
- Contain the work area so dust and debris do not spread.
- Avoid prohibited work methods that create high levels of lead-contaminated dust, such as open-flame burning or torching and certain high-dust sanding or grinding methods without proper HEPA controls.
- Clean up thoroughly and dispose of waste properly.
Reducing lead hazards
- Improperly disturbing lead-based paint can spread more lead dust and increase the danger.
- Temporary measures can reduce risk, such as repairing damaged painted surfaces and covering bare soil with grass. These are not permanent fixes and need ongoing attention.
- Permanent lead hazard control should be done by certified lead abatement professionals.
- Simply painting over a hazard with regular paint is not considered permanent control.
- After certain lead abatement work or work in federally assisted housing, clearance testing may be required to confirm cleanup levels.
Other sources of lead
- Drinking water may contain lead from plumbing or lead solder. Use cold water for drinking and cooking, and contact the local health department or water supplier about testing if concerned.
- People who work with lead can bring lead dust home on clothing, shoes, hair, or skin. Shower and change clothes before coming home, and wash work clothes separately.
- Some hobbies may involve lead, such as stained glass, pottery, or furniture refinishing.
- Older toys, furniture, children’s products, imported products, lead crystal, lead-glazed pottery, some cosmetics, spices, candies, and some folk remedies can contain lead.
For more information
