Finding Lead Hazards in Your Home

Changes in the law have greatly reduced the amount of lead in our homes and in the air today. But it is important to remember that lead does not break down over time. Therefore, you should know how to identify sources of lead in your home and how to keep your family safe.

Common Lead Hazards

The most common household lead hazards are lead-based paint, lead dust, and contaminated soil:

Lead-based paint is a hazard if it is peeling, chipping, chalking, or cracking. Even lead-based paint that appears to be undisturbed can be a problem if it is on surfaces that children chew or that get a lot of wear and tear. These areas include

• Windows and window sills.
• Doors and door frames.
• Stairs, railings, and banisters.
• Porches and fences. Even surfaces that have been covered with new paint or another covering can expose older leadbased paint layers when they become cracked or chipped.
• The older your home is, the more likely it is to contain lead-based paint.

 Dust can become contaminated with lead when lead-based paint is dry scraped or sanded. Dust can also become contaminated when painted surfaces bump or rub together. Lead chips and dust can gather on surfaces and objects that people touch or that children put into their mouths.

 Soil can become contaminated when exterior lead-based paint from houses, buildings, or other structures flakes or peels and gets into the soil. Soil near roadways may also be contaminated from past use of leaded gasoline in cars. Avoid these areas when planting vegetable gardens.

Other Sources of Lead Hazards

Although less common, a number of other lead hazards can be found in homes:

•  Older plumbing fixtures, such as faucets, lead pipes, and pipes connected with lead solder, can contaminate drinking water.
• Older water well pumps made with brass or bronze parts that contain lead can also contaminate drinking water.
• The amount of lead in your water depends on the types and amounts of minerals in the water, how long the water stays in the pipes, the amount of wear in the pipes, the waters acidity, and its temperature.
• Lead can leach into water at any temperature, but the amount of lead can be much greater when the water is hot or warm, so dont drink or cook with water from the hot faucet. Carbon, sand, and cartridge filters do not remove lead from water, although some filters are certified for lead removal.

• Some imported, non-glossy, vinyl miniblinds can be a lead hazard, especially to young children. Sunlight and heat can break down the blinds and may release lead-contaminated dust. Children who touch the miniblinds and put their fingers in their mouths may ingest the lead particles. Its best to remove these blinds if you have children who are 6 or younger. If you purchase new miniblinds, look for products with labels that say New Formulation, non-leaded formula, no lead added,or New! Non-leaded vinyl formulation.
• Painted toys and household furniture made before 1978 may be painted with lead-based paint. Do not let children chew on any older, painted toys or furniture, such as cribs or playpens.
• Lead-glazed ceramic ware, pottery, and leaded crystal can contaminate food and liquids stored in them.
• If you are exposed to lead at your job site, you could bring lead dust home on your clothes, shoes, hair, or skin.
• Lead smelters or other industries can release lead into the air.
• Hobbies such as making pottery, working with stained glass, or refinishing furniture can expose you to lead hazards. Try not to work on these hobbies in your home.
• Folk remedies that contain lead can cause lead poisoning. Two examples are Greta and Azarcon, which are often used in Hispanic and Asian communities to treat an upset stomach. Another is Pay loo ah, which is a red powder used to treat a rash or fever. Putting lead into a human body is dangerous, and it does not cure such ailments.