Protect

Your

Family

From

Lead in 

Your

Home

United States

Environmental

Protection Agency

United States

Consumer Product

Safety Commission

United States

Department of Housing

and Urban Development

SeptSeptember 2013
Are You Planning to Buy or Rent a Home Built 

Before 1978?

Did you know that many homes built before 1978 have lead-based 

paint? Lead from paint, chips, and dust can pose serious health 

hazards.

Read this entire brochure to learn:

• How lead gets into the body

• About health effects of lead

• What you can do to protect your family

• Where to go for more information

Before renting or buying a pre-1978 home or apartment, federal 

law requires:

• Sellers must disclose known information on lead-based paint or leadbased paint hazards before selling a house.

• Real estate sales contracts must include a specific warning statement 

about lead-based paint. Buyers have up to 10 days to check for lead.

• Landlords must disclose known information on lead-based paint 

and lead-based paint hazards before leases take effect. Leases must 

include a specific warning statement about lead-based paint.

If undertaking renovations, repairs, or painting (RRP) projects in 

your pre-1978 home or apartment:

• Read EPA’s pamphlet, The Lead-Safe Certified Guide to Renovate Right,

to learn about the lead-safe work practices that contractors are 

required to follow when working in your home (see page 12).
Simple Steps to Protect Your Family

from Lead Hazards

If you think your home has lead-based paint:

• Don’t try to remove lead-based paint yourself.

• Always keep painted surfaces in good condition to minimize 

deterioration.

• Get your home checked for lead hazards. Find a certified 

inspector or risk assessor at epa.gov/lead.

• Talk to your landlord about fixing surfaces with peeling or 

chipping paint.

• Regularly clean floors, window sills, and other surfaces.

• Take precautions to avoid exposure to lead dust when 

remodeling.

• When renovating, repairing, or painting, hire only EPA- or stateapproved Lead-Safe certified renovation firms.

• Before buying, renting, or renovating your home, have it 

checked for lead-based paint.

• Consult your health care provider about testing your children 

for lead. Your pediatrician can check for lead with a simple 

blood test.

• Wash children’s hands, bottles, pacifiers, and toys often.

• Make sure children avoid fatty (or high fat) foods and eat 

nutritious meals high in iron and calcium.

• Remove shoes or wipe soil off shoes before entering your 

house.

1
Lead Gets into the Body in Many Ways

Adults and children can get lead into their bodies if they:

• Breathe in lead dust (especially during activities such as renovations, 

repairs, or painting that disturb painted surfaces).

• Swallow lead dust that has settled on food, food preparation surfaces, 

and other places.

• Eat paint chips or soil that contains lead.

Lead is especially 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. 

Women of childbearing age should know that lead is dangerous to 

a developing fetus.

• Women with a high lead level in their system before or during 

pregnancy risk exposing the fetus to lead through the placenta 

during fetal development.

2
Health Effects of Lead

Lead affects the body in many ways. It is important to know that 

even exposure to low levels of lead can severely harm children.

In children, exposure to 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 amounts 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, exposure to lead can cause:

• Harm to a developing fetus

• Increased chance of high blood pressure during pregnancy

• Fertility problems (in men and women)

• High blood pressure

• Digestive problems

• Nerve disorders

• Memory and concentration problems

• Muscle and joint pain

3
Check Your Family for Lead

Get your children and home tested if you think your home has 

lead.

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 lead. Blood lead 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.

4
Where Lead-Based Paint Is Found

In general, the older your home or childcare facility, the more likely it 

has lead-based paint.1

Many homes, including private, federally-assisted, federallyowned housing, and childcare facilities built before 1978 have 

lead-based paint. In 1978, the federal government banned consumer 

uses of lead-containing paint.2

Learn how to determine if paint is lead-based paint on page 7.

Lead can be found:

• In homes and childcare facilities in the city, country, or suburbs,

• In private and public single-family homes and apartments,

• On surfaces inside and outside of the house, and

• 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.)

Learn more about where lead is found at epa.gov/lead.

5

1

 “Lead-based paint” is currently defined by the federal government as paint with 

lead levels greater than or equal to 1.0 milligram per square centimeter (mg/cm), or 

more than 0.5% by weight.

2

 “Lead-containing paint” is currently defined by the federal government as lead in new 

dried paint in excess of 90 parts per million (ppm) by weight.
Identifying Lead-Based Paint and Lead-Based Paint

Hazards

Deteriorating lead-based paint (peeling, chipping, chalking, 

cracking, or damaged paint) is a hazard and needs immediate 

attention. Lead-based paint may also be a hazard when found on 

surfaces that children can chew or that get a lot of wear and tear, such 

as:

• On windows and window sills

• Doors and door frames

• Stairs, railings, banisters, and porches

Lead-based paint is usually not a hazard if it is in good condition

and if it is not on an impact or friction surface like a window.

Lead dust can form when lead-based paint is scraped, sanded, or 

heated. Lead dust also forms when painted surfaces containing 

lead bump or rub together. Lead paint chips and dust can get on 

surfaces and objects that people touch. Settled lead dust can reenter 

the air when the home is vacuumed or swept, or when people walk 

through it. EPA currently defines the following levels of lead in dust as 

hazardous:

• 40 micrograms per square foot (μg/ft2) and higher for floors, 

including carpeted floors

• 250 μg/ft2 and higher for interior window sills

Lead in soil can be a hazard when children play in bare soil or when 

people bring soil into the house on their shoes. EPA currently defines 

the following levels of lead in soil as hazardous:

• 400 parts per million (ppm) and higher in play areas of bare soil

• 1,200 ppm (average) and higher in bare soil in the remainder of the 

yard 

Remember, lead from paint chips—which you can see—and lead 

dust—which you may not be able to see—both can be hazards.

The only way to find out if paint, dust, or soil lead hazards exist is to 

test for them. The next page describes how to do this. 6
7

Checking Your Home for Lead

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

• A lead-based paint inspection tells you if your home has leadbased paint and where it is located. It won’t tell you whether your 

home currently has lead hazards. A trained and certified testing 

professional, called a lead-based paint 

inspector, will conduct a paint inspection 

using methods, such as:

• Portable x-ray fluorescence (XRF) machine

• Lab tests of paint samples

• 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 

trained and certified testing professional, 

called a risk assessor, will:

• Sample paint that is deteriorated on doors, windows, floors, stairs, 

 and walls

• Sample dust near painted surfaces and sample bare soil in the 

 yard

• Get lab tests of paint, dust, and soil samples

• A combination inspection and risk assessment tells you if your home 

has any lead-based paint and if your home has any lead hazards, and 

where both are located.

Be sure to read the report provided to you after your inspection or risk 

assessment is completed, and ask questions about anything you do not 

understand.
8

Checking Your Home for Lead, continued

In preparing for renovation, repair, or painting work in a pre-1978 

home, Lead-Safe Certified renovators (see page 12) may:

• Take paint chip samples to determine if lead-based paint is 

present in the area planned for renovation and send them to an 

EPA-recognized lead lab for analysis. In housing receiving federal 

assistance, the person collecting these samples must be a certified 

lead-based paint inspector or risk assessor

• Use EPA-recognized tests kits to determine if lead-based paint is 

absent (but not in housing receiving federal assistance)

• Presume that lead-based paint is present and use lead-safe work 

practices

There are state and federal programs in place to ensure that testing is 

done safely, reliably, and effectively. Contact your state or local agency 

for more information, visit epa.gov/lead, or call 1-800-424-LEAD 

(5323) for a list of contacts in your area.3

3

 Hearing- or speech-challenged individuals may access this number through TTY by 

calling the Federal Relay Service at 1-800-877-8399.
9

What You Can Do Now to Protect Your Family

If you suspect that your house has lead-based paint hazards, you 

can take some immediate steps to reduce your family’s risk: 

• If you rent, notify your landlord of peeling or chipping paint.

• Keep painted surfaces clean and free of dust. Clean floors, window 

frames, window sills, and other surfaces weekly. Use a mop or sponge 

with warm water and a general all-purpose cleaner. (Remember: 

never mix ammonia and bleach products together because they can 

form a dangerous gas.)

• Carefully clean up paint chips immediately without creating dust.

• Thoroughly rinse sponges and mop heads often during cleaning of 

dirty or dusty areas, and again afterward.

• Wash your hands and your children’s hands often, especially before 

they eat and before nap time and bed time.

• Keep play areas clean. Wash bottles, pacifiers, toys, and stuffed 

animals regularly.

• Keep children from chewing window sills or other painted surfaces, or 

eating soil. 

• When renovating, repairing, or painting, hire only EPA- or stateapproved Lead-Safe Certified renovation firms (see page 12).

• Clean or remove shoes before entering your home to avoid tracking 

in lead from soil.

• Make sure children avoid fatty (or high fat) foods and eat nutritious 

meals high in iron and calcium. Children with good diets absorb less 

lead.
10

Reducing Lead Hazards

Disturbing lead-based paint or 

removing lead improperly can 

increase the hazard to your family by 

spreading even more lead dust around 

the house.

• In addition to day-to-day cleaning 

and good nutrition, you can 

temporarily reduce lead-based paint 

hazards by taking actions, such as 

repairing damaged painted surfaces 

and planting grass to cover leadcontaminated soil. These actions are 

not permanent solutions and will need 

ongoing attention.

• You can minimize exposure to lead 

when renovating, repairing, or painting by hiring an EPA- or statecertified renovator who is trained in the use of lead-safe work 

practices. If you are a do-it-yourselfer, learn how to use lead–safe 

work practices in your home.

• To remove lead hazards permanently, you should hire a certified lead 

abatement contractor. Abatement (or permanent 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 control. 

Always use a certified contractor who is trained to address lead 

hazards safely.

• Hire a Lead-Safe Certified firm (see page 12) to perform renovation, 

repair, or painting (RRP) projects that disturb painted surfaces.

• To correct lead hazards permanently, hire a certified lead abatement 

professional. This will ensure your contractor knows how to 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.
11

Reducing Lead Hazards, continued

If your home has had lead abatement work done or if the housing is 

receiving federal assistance, once the work is completed, dust cleanup 

activities must be conducted until clearance testing indicates that lead 

dust levels are below the following levels:

• 40 micrograms per square foot (μg/ft2) for floors, including carpeted 

floors

• 250 μg/ft2 for interior windows sills

• 400 μg/ft2 for window troughs

For help in locating certified lead abatement professionals in your area, 

call your state or local agency (see pages 14 and 15), or visit 

epa.gov/lead, or call 1-800-424-LEAD.
12

Renovating, Remodeling, or Repairing (RRP) a Home

with Lead-Based Paint

If you hire a contractor to conduct renovation, repair, or painting 

(RRP) projects in your pre-1978 home or childcare facility (such as 

pre-school and kindergarten), your contractor must:

• Be a Lead-Safe Certified firm approved by EPA or an 

EPA-authorized state program

• Use qualified trained individuals (Lead-Safe 

Certified renovators) who follow specific lead-safe 

work practices to prevent lead contamination 

• Provide a copy of EPA’s lead hazard information 

document, The Lead-Safe Certified Guide to 

Renovate Right

RRP contractors working in pre-1978 homes and childcare facilities 

must follow lead-safe work practices that:

• Contain the work area. The area must be contained so that dust and 

debris do not escape from the work area. Warning signs must be put 

up, and plastic or other impermeable material and tape must be used.

• Avoid renovation methods that generate large amounts of 

lead-contaminated dust. Some methods generate so much leadcontaminated dust that their use is prohibited. They are:

• Open-flame burning or torching

• Sanding, grinding, planing, needle gunning, or blasting with 

 power tools and equipment not equipped with a shroud and 

 HEPA vacuum attachment and

• Using a heat gun at temperatures greater than 1100°F

• Clean up thoroughly. The work area should be cleaned up daily. 

When all the work is done, the area must be cleaned up using special 

cleaning methods.

• Dispose of waste properly. Collect and seal waste in a heavy duty 

bag or sheeting. When transported, ensure that waste is contained to 

prevent release of dust and debris.

To learn more about EPA’s requirements for RRP projects visit 

epa.gov/getleadsafe, or read The Lead-Safe Certified Guide to 

Renovate Right.
Other Sources of Lead

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. You cannot see, smell, or taste lead, and boiling your water will 

not get rid of lead. If you think your plumbing might contain lead:

• 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. 

Call your local health department or water supplier to find out 

about testing your water, or visit epa.gov/lead for EPA’s lead in 

drinking water information.

• Lead smelters or other industries that release lead into the air.

• Your job. If you work with lead, you could bring it home on your body 

or clothes. Shower and change clothes before coming home. Launder 

your work clothes separately from the rest of your family’s clothes.

• Hobbies that use lead, such as making pottery or stained glass, 

or refinishing furniture. Call your local health department for 

information about hobbies that may use lead.

• Old toys and furniture may have been painted with lead-containing 

paint. Older toys and other children’s products may have parts that 

contain lead.4

• Food and liquids cooked or stored in lead crystal or lead-glazed

pottery or porcelain may contain lead. 

• Folk remedies, such as “greta” and “azarcon,” used to treat an upset 

stomach.

4

 In 1978, the federal government banned toys, other children’s products, and furniture 

with lead-containing paint (16 CFR 1303). In 2008, the federal government banned 

lead in most children’s products. The federal government currently bans lead in 

excess of 100 ppm by weight in most children’s products (76 FR 44463). 

13
For More Information

The National Lead Information Center 

Learn how to protect children from lead poisoning and get other 

information about lead hazards on the Web at epa.gov/lead and 

hud.gov/lead, or call 1-800-424-LEAD (5323).

EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline

For information about lead in drinking water, call 1-800-426-4791, or 

visit epa.gov/lead for information about lead in drinking water.

Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) Hotline

For information on lead in toys and other consumer products, or to 

report an unsafe consumer product or a product-related injury, call 

1-800-638-2772, or visit CPSC’s website at cpsc.gov or 

saferproducts.gov.

State and Local Health and Environmental Agencies

Some states, tribes, and cities have their own rules related to leadbased paint. Check with your local agency to see which laws apply 

to you. Most agencies can also provide information on finding a lead 

abatement firm in your area, and on possible sources of financial aid 

for reducing lead hazards. Receive up-to-date address and phone 

information for your state or local contacts on the Web at epa.gov/lead, 

or contact the National Lead Information Center at 1-800-424-LEAD.

14

Hearing- or speech-challenged individuals may access any of the 

phone numbers in this brochure through TTY by calling the tollfree Federal Relay Service at 1-800-877-8339.
U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Regional Offices

The mission of EPA is to protect human health and the environment. 

Your Regional EPA Office can provide further information regarding 

regulations and lead protection programs.

Region 1 (Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, 

New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont)

Regional Lead Contact 

U.S. EPA Region 1 

5 Post Office Square, Suite 100, OES 05-4 

Boston, MA 02109-3912 

(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 205, Mail Stop 225

Edison, NJ 08837-3679

(732) 321-6671

Region 3 (Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania,

Virginia, DC, West Virginia)

Regional Lead Contact

U.S. EPA Region 3

1650 Arch Street

Philadelphia, PA 19103

(215) 814-2088

Region 4 (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, 

Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South 

Carolina, Tennessee)

Regional Lead Contact

U.S. EPA Region 4

AFC Tower, 12th Floor, Air, Pesticides & Toxics

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) 886-7836

Region 6 (Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, 

Oklahoma, Texas, and 66 Tribes)

Regional Lead Contact 

U.S. EPA Region 6

1445 Ross Avenue, 12th Floor

Dallas, TX 75202-2733

(214) 665-2704

Region 7 (Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska)

Regional Lead Contact

U.S. EPA Region 7

11201 Renner Blvd. 

WWPD/TOPE

Lenexa, KS 66219

(800) 223-0425

Region 8 (Colorado, Montana, North 

Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Wyoming)

Regional Lead Contact

U.S. EPA Region 8

1595 Wynkoop St.

Denver, CO 80202

(303) 312-6966

Region 9 (Arizona, California, Hawaii, 

Nevada)

Regional Lead Contact

U.S. EPA Region 9 (CMD-4-2)

75 Hawthorne Street

San Francisco, CA 94105

(415) 947-4280

Region 10 (Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, 

Washington)

Regional Lead Contact

U.S. EPA Region 10

Solid Waste & Toxics Unit (WCM-128)

1200 Sixth Avenue, Suite 900

Seattle, WA 98101

(206) 553-1200 

15
Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)

The CPSC protects the public against unreasonable risk of injury 

from consumer products through education, safety standards 

activities, and enforcement. Contact CPSC for further information 

regarding consumer product safety and regulations.

CPSC

4330 East West Highway

Bethesda, MD 20814-4421

1-800-638-2772

cpsc.gov or saferproducts.gov

U. S. Department of Housing and Urban

Development (HUD)

This document is in the public domain. It may be produced by an individual or organization without 

permission. Information provided in this booklet is based upon current scientific and technical 

understanding of the issues presented and is reflective of the jurisdictional boundaries established by 

the statutes governing the co-authoring agencies. Following the advice given will not necessarily 

provide complete protection in all situations or against all health hazards that can be caused by lead 

 exposure.

U. S. EPA Washington DC 20460 EPA-747-K-12-001

U. S. CPSC Bethesda MD 20814

U. S. HUD Washington DC 20410

HUD’s mission is to create strong, sustainable, inclusive 

communities and quality affordable homes for all. Contact 

HUD’s Office of Healthy Homes and Lead Hazard Control for 

further information regarding the Lead Safe Housing Rule, which 

protects families in pre-1978 assisted housing, and for the lead 

hazard control and research grant programs.

HUD

451 Seventh Street, SW, Room 8236

Washington, DC 20410-3000

(202) 402-7698

hud.gov/offices/lead/

September 2013

16
IMPORTANT!

Lead From Paint, Dust, and Soil in and 

Around Your Home Can Be Dangerous if 

Not Managed Properly

• Children under 6 years old are most at risk for lead 

poisoning in your home.

• Lead exposure can harm young children and babies even 

before they are born.

• Homes, schools, and child care facilities built before 1978 

are likely to contain lead-based paint.

• Even children who seem healthy may have dangerous 

levels of lead in their bodies.

• Disturbing surfaces with lead-based paint or removing 

lead-based paint improperly can increase the danger to 

your family.

• People can get lead into their bodies by breathing or 

swallowing lead dust, or by eating soil or paint chips 

containing lead.

• People have many options for reducing lead hazards. 

Generally, lead-based paint that is in good condition is not 

a hazard (see page 10).