Testing Your Home For Lead 

In Paint, Dust, And Soil

United States

Environmental Protection

Agency

Office of 

Pollution Prevention and Toxics

7404

EPA 747-K-00-001

July 2000
About This Publication

This publication is for anyone who is considering having a home

or residence tested for lead in paint, dust, or soil by a lead-based

paint professional. It explains the technical aspects of lead testing

without overwhelming the reader. Thus, commonly asked questions

are presented in logical order. The first section tells why you would

test for lead, the approaches for testing for lead, and what information you will get from each approach. The second section answers

specific questions about how paint, soil, and dust sampling are conducted by a lead-based paint professional in your home. Finally,

the last section answers other questions about testing, including

questions about home test kits and testing of water and ceramics.

Important:

This publication addresses federal regulations and guidelines.

Your state may have its own lead program and different regulations.

For more information, contact the National Lead Information Center

(NLIC) at 1-800-424-LEAD or visit http://www.epa.gov/lead.

cC

Preface
Section 1: General Questions About Testing Approaches

Why Should I Test My Home For Lead?............................................................................ 1

Why Is Testing Recommended For Houses Built Before 1978? .......................................2

What Kind Of Testing Do I Want?...................................................................................... 2

Who Can Do Lead Testing For Me? .................................................................................. 4

What Will The Testing Report Tell Me?.............................................................................. 5

Do I Have To Do Anything After The Testing Is Completed? ............................................ 5

May I Abate Lead-Based Paint Hazards In My Own Home? ........................................... 6

Section 2: Specific Questions About Testing Paint, Dust, And Soil

Are All Painted Surfaces In The Home Tested .................................................................. 7 

How Are Painted Surfaces Tested? .................................................................................. 7

What Do The Results Of Paint Testing Mean?.................................................................. 8

What If No Lead-Based Paint Is Found In My Home? ...................................................... 9

How Are Dust Samples Collected And Analyzed? ............................................................ 10

What Do The Results Of Dust Sampling Mean? .............................................................. 10

How Are Soil Samples Collected And Analyzed?.............................................................. 11

What Do The Results Of Soil Testing Mean? .................................................................... 11

What Are Composite Samples? ........................................................................................ 11

Section 3: Miscellaneous Questions Frequently Asked About Testing

What Are Home Test Kits? ................................................................................................ 13

Does EPA Recommend Test Kits For Paint, Dust, Or Soil Testing? ................................ 13

May I Collect Paint, Dust, And Soil Samples Myself And Send Them To A Laboratory?..13

What About Testing For Lead In Water? .......................................................................... 13

What About Testing For Lead In Furniture, Dishware, And Mini-Blinds? .......................... 14

Contacts For Further Information ...................................................................................... 15

Additional Reading ............................................................................................................ 16

Table Of Contents
before starting the work. The EPA brochure

Reducing Lead Hazards When Remodeling Your

Home (see page 16) provides guidelines for

renovating or remodeling your home.

If your house was built before 1978 and

you hire a professional to renovate, the renovator must, before beginning renovation, give you

a copy of the EPA pamphlet Protect Your Family

From Lead In Your Home.

III. You Are Renting Or Buying A Home

The Federal Lead-Based Paint and LeadBased Paint Hazards Disclosure Rule requires

that the landlord or seller of a residential

dwelling built prior to 1978 provide the renter

or buyer with:

! The pamphlet Protect Your Family

From Lead In Your Home and

! Any available information on leadbased paint or lead-based paint

hazards in the home.

A buyer must be given the opportunity to

conduct testing to determine whether leadbased paint or lead-based paint hazards are

present. While you are not required by law to

test for lead, it may be advisable if you have

(or plan to have) young children in the home.

General Questions 

About Testing Procedures

Why Should I Test My 

Home For Lead?

There are numerous reasons why you 

might want to test your home for lead,

especially if built before 1978.

I. There Are (Or Will Be) Children Age

Six And Younger In The Home

Lead from paint, especially peeling or

flaking paint, can get into dust and soil in

and around a home. Young children may then

swallow the lead during normal hand-to-mouth

activity. In addition, an unborn child may be

exposed to lead in the mother’s womb. High

levels of lead in the fetus and in children age

six and younger have been linked to nervous

system damage, behavior and learning problems, and slow growth. Testing can tell you

whether there is lead-based paint or a leadbased paint hazard in your home.

II. You Are About To Remodel,

Renovate, Or Repaint Your Home

Any disturbance of lead-based paint can

create a hazard by depositing lead chips or

particles in the house dust or in the soil around

the house. If you are planning on doing renovation, remodeling, or repainting, you should

have testing done by a certified lead-based

paint professional on any painted surfaces that

will be removed, disturbed, scraped, or sanded

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Section 1

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IV. You Are A Landlord Or Selling A 

Home

As discussed above, a homeowner is

required to provide renters or buyers with any

available information on lead-based paint or

lead-based paint hazards in homes built before

1978. Testing will give you the information

that may be requested by potential renters or

buyers.

Why Is Testing

Recommended For Houses

Built Before 1978?

Federal regulations placed a limit on

the amount of lead in paint sold for

residential use starting in 1978. That

is why homes built before 1978 are

subject to the Disclosure Rule. The

older the home, the greater the chance

of lead-based paint and lead-based

paint hazards, and the more important

it is to have the home tested.

What Kind Of Testing Do I

Want?

Three different approaches for testing

lead are available: a lead-based paint

inspection, a risk assessment, and a lead

hazard screen. A combination inspection and risk assessment may also be

done. Selection of the approach

depends on why you are testing.

I. Lead-Based Paint Inspection

A lead-based paint inspection is a surfaceby-surface investigation to determine whether

there is lead-based paint in the home and

where it is located. An inspection may be particularly useful before renovation, repainting, or

paint removal.

An inspection includes:

! An inventory of all painted surfaces,

including the outside as well as the

inside of the home. ‘Painted surfaces’

include all surfaces coated with paint,

shellac, varnish, stain, coating, or even

paint covered by wallpaper.

! Selection and testing of each type of

painted surface.

Then you should get a report listing the

painted surfaces in the home and whether each

painted surface contains lead-based paint.

An inspection does not typically test painted

furniture unless it is a permanent part of the

home, such as kitchen or bathroom cabinets or

built-in bookshelves. Soil, dust, and water are

not typically tested during an inspection.

The presence of lead-based paint in a home

does not necessarily mean there is a lead-based

paint hazard to occupants. To make sure, you

may want a different testing approach (either

a risk assessment or hazard screen).

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II. Risk Assessment

A risk assessment is an on-site investigation

to determine the presence, type, severity, and

location of lead-based paint hazards. The

presence of deteriorated lead-based paint or

high levels of lead in dust or soil pose potential

hazards to children who may ingest lead inside

or playing outside.

A risk assessment includes:

! A visual inspection of the residence to

determine the location of deteriorated

paint, the extent and causes of the

deterioration, and other factors that

may cause lead exposure to young

children inside or outside the home.

! Testing deteriorated paint and paint

on surfaces where there is reason to

believe (from teeth marks or from

reports of a parent) that a child has

chewed, licked, or mouthed the paint.

Painted surfaces in good condition are

not tested.

! Testing household dust from floors and

windows. Samples should include areas

from a child’s bedroom, a child’s main

play area, the main entrance, and other

locations to be chosen by the certified

Risk Assessor.

! Testing bare soil from play areas, the

building foundation, and possibly other

areas around the home.

! Optional water testing.

Finally, you should get a report identifying

the location of the types of lead-based paint

hazards and ways to control them. Because

not all paint is tested, a risk assessment cannot

conclude that there is no lead-based paint in

the home.

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Typical Painted Surfaces Tested During Inspection

Baseboards Heating Units

Built-In Cabinets Railings

Ceilings Shelves

Chair Rails Stairs

Doors Walls

Fireplaces Windows

Floors

Chimneys Mailboxes

Door Trim Porches

Fascia, Soffits Roofing

Fences Siding

Gutters, Downspouts Stairs

Handrails Sheds

Lattice Work Swing Sets

Inside The Home Outside The Home
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An important point is that a risk assessment

identifies current lead-based paint hazards.

New hazards may arise if lead-based paint is

disturbed, damaged, or deteriorates.

If you want to know which painted surfaces contain lead-based paint and whether any

lead-based hazards are present, you will need a

combination inspection and risk assessment.

III. Lead Hazard Screen

A lead hazard screen is a limited version of a

risk assessment for houses with a low chance

of lead risks.

In a lead hazard screen:

! Any painted surfaces in a deteriorated

condition are tested.

! Two sets of dust samples are collected

in a lead hazard screen. One set represents the floors and the other set represents the windows. Typically, there is

less dust sampling in a lead hazard

screen than in a risk assessment.

! Usually soil samples are not collected

in a lead hazard screen, with one

exception. If there is evidence of

paint chips in the soil from previous

exterior repainting, then the soil should

be sampled and tested.

The outcome of the lead hazard screen

is either a conclusion that lead-based paint

hazards are probably not present or a recommendation that a full risk assessment be

conducted to determine if such hazards are

present.

In a lead hazard screen, only deteriorated

paint is tested. Thus, a lead hazard screen cannot conclude there is no lead-based paint in the

home.

A lead hazard screen is only recommended

for residences that are generally in good condition, with little visible dust, and with paint in

good condition (very little chipping or flaking).

If not, the screen is likely to be a waste of time

and money. In general, a lead hazard screen

will be more useful in housing built after 1960.

As with a risk assessment, a lead hazard

screen identifies current lead-based paint

hazards. If there is lead-based paint in the

home, new hazards may arise if that paint

is disturbed, damaged, or deteriorates.

Who Can Do Lead Testing

For Me?

It is strongly recommended that testing

be performed by a certified Inspector

or certified Risk Assessor.

! Certified Inspectors can perform only

lead-based paint inspections.

! Certified Risk Assessors can perform

both risk assessments and lead hazard

screens.

Your state may define the titles for leadbased paint professionals and the types of

testing they can perform differently from

what this brochure says. You can find out by

calling NLIC at 1-800-424-LEAD.

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What Will The Testing

Report Tell Me?

That will depend on which approach

has been used: inspection, risk assessment, or lead hazard screen. Request

a sample report before the testing is

done so that you may see what information will be provided and how it

will be presented. You should also

request that actual lead values (not just

‘positive’ or ‘negative’ classifications)

be provided in the report as evidence

that the testing was actually done.

I. Inspection Report

If you have an inspection done, you should

receive a report that tells you which painted

surfaces were tested and the test results for

each surface. An inspection report will not tell

you the condition of the lead-based paint or

whether lead-based paint hazards exist.

II. Risk Assessment Report

If you have a risk assessment done, you

will receive a report that tells you whether

there are any lead-based paint hazards and

recommends ways to reduce or control any

hazards present.

The certified Risk Assessor will take into

account the test results and the results of the

visual inspection to decide if there are any

lead-based paint hazards and how to control

them. Lead-based paint hazards identified

include lead-based paint in deteriorated condition or on surfaces mouthed by a child.

In addition, house dust or bare soil with

hazardous lead levels will be identified.

The certified Risk Assessor will provide

a list of options for controlling each hazard.

Options may include both interim controls

and abatement.

! Interim Controls – These are short-term

or temporary actions. Examples include

recommendations to repair deteriorated

surfaces that contain lead-based paint,

to clean house dust more frequently, or

to plant grass or shrubs in areas with

bare soil.

! Abatement – These are long-term or

permanent actions. Examples include

replacing old windows, building a new

wall over an existing one, or removing

soil.

The certified Risk Assessor will also identify the probable source of the paint deterioration and determine whether other repairs are

warranted. For example, a water leak may need

to be repaired to prevent further damage to the

paint.

III. Hazard Screen Report

If you have a lead hazard screen done, the

report tells you either that there are probably

no lead-based paint hazards in the house or

that full-scale risk assessment is needed.

Do I Have To Do Anything

After The Testing Is

Completed?

There is no EPA requirement for you

to do anything to any lead-based paint

or lead-based paint hazards found

when testing your home. However, if

your home was built before 1978, you

will be required to provide the test

results to any renter or buyer when you

lease or sell the home. For more information on the responsibilities of sellers,

landlords and their agents, contact

NLIC at 1-800-424-LEAD or visit

http://www.epa.gov/lead.

Be aware that there may be state or other

requirements for action based on the test

results. You can call NLIC at 1-800-424-LEAD

for information about what is required in your

locality before you start testing.

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May I Abate Lead-Based

Paint Hazards In My Own

Home?

If you decide to abate lead-based paint

hazards in your own home, it is not

recommended that you do the work

yourself. Abatement activities must be

done following careful procedures to

prevent contamination of the home

with lead dust. To be safe, hire a

certified lead-based paint contractor

(a certified professional who can do

lead-based paint related abatement).

Dust samples should be collected to

check the thoroughness of the work.

Be aware that you must be certified yourself or you must hire a certified lead-based

paint professional in the following cases: 1) if a

child with a blood-lead level of 20 μg/dL* or

higher for a single venous test (or 15–19 μg/dL

in two consecutive tests taken 3 to 4 months

apart) lives in the house or 2) you own the

house and rent it to someone else.

If you hire a firm to do testing for leadbased paint hazards, note that you are not

under any obligation to hire the same firm to

do the abatement. In fact, it would be better to

have one firm conduct all testing and another

firm conduct the abatement work. That will

prevent a conflict of interest.

Be sure to maintain a record of the work

to help during any future sale or rental of the

home.

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*Pronounced micrograms of lead per deciliter 

*of blood.
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Are All Painted Surfaces In

The Home Tested?

Not every single painted surface in the

home will be tested in an inspection,

but all types of painted surfaces are

tested. For example, a room may have

three windows, all painted the same

color and all made out of wood. The

certified Inspector may not test all

three windows, because they appear

to be the same.

In a similar fashion, the certified Inspector

will go through every room and test the different types of painted surfaces in the rooms.

Painted surfaces on the outside of the home,

detached structures (such as garages), and items

like painted fences and swing sets should also

be tested.

Inspections differ from risk assessments

and lead hazard screens. In a risk assessment,

only deteriorated paint and paint that has been

mouthed or chewed by a child will be tested.

In a lead hazard screen, only deteriorated paint

is tested.

How Are Painted Surfaces

Tested?

There are currently two methods

recognized by EPA for testing paint:

portable X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF)

analyzers and paint chip sampling

followed by analysis by a laboratory

recognized by EPA’s National Lead

Laboratory Accreditation Program

(NLLAP).

I. Portable X-Ray Fluorescence 

Analyzers (XRFs)

A portable XRF measures lead in paint,

generally without damaging the paint. However, readings from some XRFs are affected

by the base material (known as the “substrate”)

underneath the paint, such as wood, plaster,

or metal. For these cases, the certified

Inspector removes paint from a few surfaces

of each type and takes a measurement on the

unpainted surface. These measurements provide a baseline to adjust the lead in paint value.

This procedure may do some paint damage.

Also, for curved surfaces or very deteriorated

paint, XRF analyzers may not read accurately

and a paint chip sample may be required.

When a certified lead-based paint professional follows good testing practices,

Specific Questions

About Testing Paint,

Dust, And Soil

Section 2

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XRF analyzers provide a fast and reliable

method for classifying many painted surfaces.

However, some XRF test results may be

inconclusive (neither positive nor negative).

Then laboratory testing of a paint chip sample

may be necessary.

Because the XRF analyzer uses a radiation

source to detect lead, occupants in the household should be asked to stay out of rooms

behind the surfaces being tested.

II. Paint Chip Sampling And

Laboratory Analysis

Paint chip samples are collected for laboratory analysis by removing one to four square

inches of paint from the surface. All layers of

paint in the sampled area are included in the

sample. Usually samples will contain some of

the material beneath the paint, such as wood,

plaster, or concrete particles. The amount of

this material will be kept to a minimum.

Tools such as chisels and scrapers are used

to remove the paint. Sometimes a heat gun is

used to soften the paint and make the removal

easier. If so, a respirator should be worn by the

person operating the heat gun for protection

from lead and other fumes. In addition, the

room or area should be well ventilated to protect occupants.

After collecting the paint chip sample,

the certified lead-based paint professional will

repair the scraped area so that adjacent paint

will not peel or flake off. Any paint chips or

dust from the sampling should be cleaned up

by the certified lead-based paint professional

to ensure no lead dust is left behind.

Paint chip samples should be analyzed

for lead by a laboratory recognized by EPA’s

NLLAP as proficient for testing lead in paint.

EPA has established the NLLAP to ensure that

laboratory analyses are done accurately. A laboratory on the list is recognized as proficient for

testing for lead in whichever of the three sample types (paint, dust, or soil) the laboratory

has qualified. The certified Inspector and certified Risk Assessor must ensure that any paint

chip samples from your home are analyzed by

a laboratory on the NLLAP list for paint. This

publication addresses federal regulations and

guidelines. Your state may have its own lead

program and different regulations. For more

information, contact NLIC at 1-800-424-LEAD

or visit http://www.epa.gov/lead.

While paint chip sampling followed by laboratory analysis is generally more accurate than

XRF testing, sampling and analysis take longer

to complete and paint chips must be scraped

from many surfaces in the home. In some cases,

a surface may be curved or so deteriorated that

an XRF cannot be used properly and sampling

may be the only way to test the paint.

What Do The Results Of

Paint Testing Mean?

A certified lead-based paint professional

will use guidance specific for each type

of XRF analyzer to determine whether

a measurement indicates that:

! Lead-based paint is present,

! Lead-based paint is not present, or 

! The measurement is inconclusive and a

laboratory test is necessary.

The guidance ensures the XRF measurement classifies paint as lead-based when there

is 1.0 milligram of lead per square centimeter

of painted surface or greater (1.0 mg/cm2

). An

XRF analyzer typically reads in mg/cm2

, meaning milligrams per square centimeter .

When the paint chip sampling followed by

laboratory analysis method is used, the federal

definition of lead-based paint is dependent on

how the results are reported.

! If the laboratory report is expressed as

weight of lead per weight of paint chip,

the federal definition of lead-based

paint is 0.5 percent lead (0.5%). This

is mathematically the same as 5,000

milligrams of lead per kilogram of

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paint chip (5,000 mg/kg), or 5,000

micrograms of lead per gram of paint

chip (5,000 μg/g), or 5,000 parts per

million lead (5,000 ppm).

! If the laboratory report is expressed

as a weight of lead per unit area of

painted surface, the federal definition

of lead-based paint is 1.0 mg/cm2

(the same as for XRF analysis).

It is possible to report laboratory results

in both types of units, but this is rarely done

because of the additional time and work

required.

Unfortunately, there is no universal definition of lead-based paint. Some state and local

governments have definitions of lead-based

paint which differ from those in federal law. It

is recommended that when there is a conflict

between the federal definition and a state or

local definition, the more stringent standard

(that is, the lower number) be used to define

lead-based paint. A certified lead-based paint

professional (certified Inspector or certified

Risk Assessor) will be aware of and will follow

the appropriate standard.

What If No Lead-Based

Paint Is Found In My

Home?

Lead can still be present in paint which

is not classified as “lead-based.” This

would occur when the paint has a lower

amount of lead than the federal government regulates. If lead is present in

the paint, lead dust can be released

when the paint deteriorates, or is disturbed during remodeling, renovation,

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Federal Definition Of Lead-Based Paint Depends On How Test Results Are Reported

If results are reported as percent (or equivalent)

If results are reported as milligrams per square

centimeter

Then, in order for it to be considered lead-based

paint, the paint must have greater than or equal

to 0.5% (which is the same as 5,000 μg/g or

5,000 mg/kg or 5,000 ppm) lead

Then, in order for it to be considered lead-based

paint, the paint must have greater than or equal

to 1 mg/cm2 lead

How Test Results Are Reported Federal Definition Of Lead-Based Paint
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sanding, or some maintenance work

that breaks the surface of the paint.

This is especially important in homes

built before 1978. Since the amount of

lead in paint was limited by federal regulation in 1978, lead exposure during

remodeling and renovation is not as

much a concern in newer homes. So

you should be careful when there is

work that involves extensive breaking

of painted surfaces in a home built

before 1978. Make sure any dust and

debris created by breaking painted

surfaces are thoroughly cleaned up,

painted surfaces are repaired and left

intact when the work is done, and

children stay away from the work

areas until all repairs and clean-up

are completed.

The EPA brochure Reducing Lead Hazards

When Remodeling Your Home provides guidelines

for renovating and remodeling your home. See

page 16 for more information on how to order

the brochure.

How Are Dust Samples

Collected And Analyzed?

The most common method for dust

collection is a surface wipe sample.

Most certified Risk Assessors will use

baby wipes or wet wipes to collect dust.

If dust is collected from a floor, an area of

one square foot is usually sampled. The area is

wiped several times in different directions to

pick up all the dust. After sampling, the wipe is

placed in a container and sent to a laboratory

for analysis. The certified Risk Assessor will

also collect wipe samples from windows and

measure the surface area wiped.

In some situations, special types of vacuum

samplers may be used for dust collection. These

are different from home vacuum cleaners,

although some may look the same.

The certified lead-based paint professional

must send dust samples to a laboratory recognized by EPA’s NLLAP that is proficient for

dust analysis. This publication addresses federal

regulations and guidelines. Your state may have

its own lead program and different regulations.

For more information, contact NLIC at 1-800-

424-LEAD or visit http://www.epa.gov/lead.

What Do The Results Of

Dust Sampling Mean?

Dust sample results are usually

expressed as a weight of lead per unit

area of surface. The units will usually

be micrograms of lead per square foot.

For example, a floor wipe sample may

be expressed as 50 micrograms of

lead per square foot. This is written

as 50 μg/ft2

. The certified lead-based

paint professional will provide guidance

in interpreting the results of the dust

testing.

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How Are Soil Samples

Collected And Analyzed?

Soil samples are collected from bare

soil areas (soil with no grass or other

covering) near your home where children play and from bare soil areas

near the house foundation or dripline.

Optional sampling areas are gardens,

pathways, and pet sleeping areas.

Samples are collected by coring or

scooping methods that take the top

half-inch of soil. Samples of non-bare

soil may sometimes be collected.

Soil samples must be sent to a laboratory

recognized by EPA’s NLLAP that is proficient

in soil analysis. This publication addresses

federal regulations and guidelines. Your state

may have its own lead program and different

regulations. For more information, contact

NLIC at 1-800-424-LEAD or visit http://

www.epa.gov/lead.

What Do The Results Of

Soil Testing Mean?

Results of soil samples are expressed as

a weight of lead per unit weight of soil,

usually in parts per million. For example, a soil sample result may be 300

parts per million. This is written 300

ppm. The certified lead-based paint

professional will help you interpret the

results of the soil testing.

What Are Composite

Samples?

Composite samples are combinations

of individual samples analyzed together

in a laboratory to obtain a single average result. Both dust and soil samples

may be composited. For example, a

floor dust sample may be collected in

each of three rooms and combined to

obtain one composite dust sample to be

analyzed by the laboratory. Or four soil

samples taken in a play area may be

combined to obtain one composite soil

sample. Paint samples may also be composited, but this is not as common as

compositing dust and soil samples.

Composite samples may often be used in

risk assessments and lead hazard screens to

reduce the cost of laboratory analysis or to

increase the representativeness of a single

sample. The disadvantage of composite samples is that information is not available for

each room (or location) from which samples

were collected.

The certified Risk Assessor will interpret

composite sample results, if any. The advantage

of composite samples is that information is

obtained at reduced cost or more samples are

collected for the same cost.

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What Are Home Test Kits?

Home test kits are used in the home to

detect lead in paint, soil, and dust (and,

in some cases, water, dishware, glasses,

and ceramics). A reaction occurs causing a color change when chemicals in

the kit are exposed to lead.

Does EPA Recommend Test

Kits For Paint, Dust, Or Soil

Testing?

No. EPA does not currently

recommend home test kits to detect

lead in paint, dust, or soil. Studies show

that these kits are not reliable enough

to tell the difference between high and

low levels of lead. At this time, the

kits are not recommended for testing

performed by either homeowners or

certified lead-based paint professionals.

May I Collect Paint, Dust,

And Soil Samples Myself

And Send Them To A

Laboratory?

You may do this, although your samples may not be of the same quality

as those collected by a certified leadbased paint professional. If you want

to collect samples yourself, it is recommended that you send paint, dust, or

soil samples to a laboratory recognized

by EPA’s NLLAP. A list of NLLAP

laboratories is available from NLIC by

calling 1-800-424-LEAD. If the samples contain high levels of lead, you

should have a certified lead-based paint

professional do a risk assessment of

your home.

What About Testing For

Lead In Water?

Lead pipes and lead solder were once

used in plumbing and lead leaked into

drinking water. Water testing is not routinely conducted by certified lead-based

paint testing professionals, but you may

ask for it as an optional service. If you

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Section 3

Miscellaneous

Questions

Frequently Asked

About Testing

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would like information about testing

for lead in water, call the EPA Drinking

Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791.

What About Testing For

Lead In Furniture, Dishware,

And Mini-Blinds?

Lead may be present in the paint on

furniture. If the furniture is old or the

paint is damaged, you may want to have

it tested. A certified Inspector or certified Risk Assessor may do this testing

for you.

Lead may also be present in some glassware (for example, lead crystal) and in glazes

found on ceramic ware. The lead may be

absorbed into the drink and food stored in

these items.

Contact NLIC at 1-800-424-LEAD or

the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

Food Information Line at 1-800-FDA-4010

for information on testing glassware and

ceramics or access the FDA webpage at http://

vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/lead.html#advice.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission

(CPSC) has issued a warning that some miniblinds may contain lead. For further information, contact the CPSC hotline at 1-800-638-

2772 or access the CPSC webpage at http://

www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml96/

96150.html.

Q:

A:
15

Contacts For Further Information:

Topic Agency Contact Information

Testing ceramic ware and 

related items

1-800-FDA-4010

http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/

lead.html#advice

Food and Drug 

Administration (FDA)

Food Information Line

Information on lead in 

mini-blinds

1-800-638-2772

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/

prerel/prhtml96/96150.html

Consumer Product Safety

Commission (CPSC)

State lead programs and 

regulations,

Current list of NLLAP

laboratories,

Lead brochures and fact sheets,

General lead hazard information

1-800-424-LEAD

OR

for the hearing impaired

1-800-877-8339

http://www.epa.gov/lead/nlic.htm

National Lead Information

Center (NLIC)

EPA and HUD related web sites http://www.epa.gov/lead

http://www.hud.gov/lea

Environmental Protection Agency

Housing and Urban Development

Information on testing drinking

water for lead

EPA Drinking Water Hotline 1-800-426-4791

Information on state and 

territory lead professional and

contractor certification and

licensing

1-617-918-1524

1-732-321-6671

1-215-814-2084

1-404-562-8998

1-312-886-7836

1-214-665-7577

1-913-551-7518

1-303-312-6021

1-415-744-1069

1-206-553-1985

EPA Regional Offices

Region 1 

CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT

Region 2

NJ, NY, PR, VI

Region 3 

DE, DC, MD, PA, VA, WV

Region 4

AL, FL, GA, KY, MS, NC, SC, TN

Region 5 

IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, WI

Region 6 

AR, LA, NM, OK, TX

Region 7 

IA, KS, MO, NE

Region 8 

CO, MT, ND, SD, UT, WY

Region 9

AS, AZ, CA, GU, HI, NV, NP

Region 10 

AK, ID, OR, WA
Additional Reading:

These brochures and fact sheets can be

obtained by calling NLIC at 1-800-424-LEAD

or visiting http://www.epa.gov/lead.

Buying A Home? Here’s What You Need

To Know About Lead-Based Paint, EPA

brochure, EPA publication number

EPA 747-F-99-001 (January 2000).

Lead In Your Home: A Parent’s Reference

Guide, EPA brochure, EPA publication

number EPA 747-B-99-003 (May 1999).

Protect Your Family From Lead In Your

Home, EPA/CPSC/HUD brochure, EPA

publication number EPA 747-K-99-001

(April 1999).

Reducing Lead Hazards When Remodeling

Your Home, EPA brochure, EPA publication

number EPA 747-K-97-001 (September

1997).

Runs Better Unleaded: How to Protect Your

Children from Lead Poisoning, EPA brochure,

EPA publication number EPA 747-F-99-005A

(August 1999).

Selecting a Laboratory for Lead Analysis: The

EPA National Lead Laboratory Accreditation

Program, EPA brochure, EPA publication

number EPA 747-F-99-002 (April 1999).

The Lead-Based Paint Pre-Renovation

Education Rule, EPA handbook, EPA

publication number EPA 747-B-99-004

(September 1999).

Disclosure of Lead-Based Paint Hazards

in Housing, EPA/HUD fact sheet, EPA

publication number EPA 747-F-96-002

(March 1996).

16
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