Document ID: EPA-HQ-RCRA-2001-0017-0007
Agency: epa
Document Type: Supporting & Related Material
Title: 
Posted Date: 2003-03-04T05:00Z

Lead
Paint
Can
Poison:
Is
Your
Family
at
Risk?

HUD
WANTS
YOU
TO
LEARN
THE
FACTS
ABOUT
LEAD
PAINT.

Q.
Where
is
lead
paint
found?
A.
Most
homes
built
before
1978
have
some
lead
paint.
Homes
built
before
1960
have
the
most
lead
paint.
Lead
can
be
present
on
any
painted
surface,
but
it
is
most
often
found
on
windows,
trim,
doors,
railings,
columns,
porches
and
outside
walls.
Surfaces
that
have
been
repainted
may
have
layers
of
lead
paint
underneath.
A
lead
inspection
can
tell
you
where
lead
paint
is
located
in
your
home.

Q.
How
do
children
get
poisoned
from
lead
paint?
A.
Most
children
are
poisoned
by
invisible
lead
dust
that
is
released
when
paint
is
peeling,
damaged
or
disturbed.
The
dust
settles
on
floors
and
other
surfaces
From
there,
it
can
easily
get
on
children's
hands
or
toys
and
into
their
mouths.
Children
can
also
be
poisoned
by
playing
in
bare
soil
which
can
contain
lead
from
paint
that
has
peeled
from
outside
walls,
past
use
of
leaded
gasoline
and
other
outside
sources.

Q.
Should
I
worry
about
lead
if
I
repaint
or
remodel?
A.
Yes.
Scraping,
sanding
or
otherwise
disturbing
old
paint
can
release
large
amounts
of
toxic
lead
dust.
Learn
to
work
safely
with
lead
paint
and
make
sure
any
contractor
you
hire
follows
lead­
safe
guidelines.
For
more
information,
see
HUD's
fact
sheet,
Lead
Paint
Can
Poison:
Protect
Your
Family
When
You
Repaint
or
Remodel.
For
a
free
copy,
call
1­
800­
424­
LEAD.

Q.
How
do
I
know
if
my
child
is
lead
poisoned?
A.
You
cannot
tell
if
a
child
is
lead
poisoned
just
by
looking.
The
only
way
to
find
out
is
with
a
blood
test.
The
test
is
simple,
quick
and
available
in
a
doctor's
office
or
clinic.
Most
health
plans
cover
lead
tests.
Young
children
who
are
enrolled
in
Medicaid
and
other
state
health
programs
can
get
free
lead
tests.

Q.
What
should
I
do
if
my
child
is
lead
poisoned?
A.
First,
locate
any
lead
hazards
in
your
home
and
learn
how
to
eliminate
them
safely.
Talk
with
your
doctor
or
health
department
about
what
else
you
can
do
to
protect
your
child's
health.
Never
try
to
remove
lead
paint
yourself.
Call
1­
888­
LEADLIST
for
a
list
of
lead
service
providers.

Q.
If
I
rent
my
home,
how
can
I
protect
my
family?
A.
There
are
five
things
you
should
know:

1.
It
is
your
landlord's
job
to
keep
paint
in
good
shape.

2.
If
your
landlord
will
not
fix
peeling
paint
or
water
damage,
call
your
health
department.

3.
Make
sure
that
workers
who
fix
the
paint
do
not
spread
lead
dust.

4.
Workers
should
clean
up
well
before
they
leave.

5.
Landlords
are
required
by
law
to
give
you
information
about
lead
before
you
sign
the
lease
and
at
any
time
your
rent
is
raised.

USE
HUD'S
SIMPLE
CHECKLIST
ON
THE
REVERSE
SIDE
OF
THIS
FACT
SHEET
TO
PROTECT
YOUR
FAMILY
FROM
LEAD
PAINT
HAZARDS.
°
If
your
home
was
built
before
1978,
your
child
could
be
at
risk
for
lead
poisoning
from
lead
paint.

°
Lead
can
harm
your
child's
brain,
causing
lifelong
learning
and
behavior
problems.

°
Almost
one
million
children
under
age
six
in
the
U.
S.
suffer
from
lead
poisoning.

°
Children
under
age
six
are
most
at
risk.
When
a
pregnant
woman
is
exposed
to
lead,
it
can
harm
her
unborn
baby.
U.
S.
Department
of
Housing
and
Urban
Development
MAKE
YOUR
HOME
A
HEALTHY
HOME!

Take
these
five
steps:

1.
Keep
paint
in
good
shape.

q
Check
often
for
peeling
paint.

q
Watch
out
for
water
damage
that
can
make
paint
peel.

q
Make
sure
any
problems
are
fixed
promptly.

2.
Work
safely
with
lead
paint.

q
Wet
down
the
paint
before
you
sand
or
scrape
to
control
lead
dust.

q
Avoid
creating
dust
or
paint
chips.
A
power
sander
or
grinder
should
have
a
hood
to
trap
dust
and
a
HEPA
vacuum
attachment.

q
Seal
off
the
work
area
by
covering
floors,
doors,
windows
and
vents
with
heavy
plastic
and
keep
children
and
pregnant
women
away
from
the
area.

q
Cover
furniture
with
heavy
plastic
or
remove
it
from
the
work
area.

q
Wash
floors
and
walls
with
soap
and
water.

q
Dispose
of
trash
and
dust
in
plastic
bags.

3.
Keep
your
home
free
of
lead
dust.

q
Clean
floors
and
window
sills
often
with
soap
and
water
and
rinse
with
fresh
water.

q
Be
sure
children
wash
their
hands
before
eating,
after
playing
outside
and
at
bedtime.

4.
Watch
where
your
children
play.

q
Don't
let
children
play
in
bare
soil.

q
Look
for
areas
with
grass
or
other
safe
coverings.

5.
Test
your
child
for
lead.

q
Ask
your
doctor
or
health
department
if
your
child
should
be
tested
for
lead.

HUD
WANTS
EVERY
CHILD
TO
HAVE
A
LEAD­
SAFE
HOME!

For
HUD's
fact
sheet,
Lead
Paint
Can
Poison:
Protect
Your
Family
When
You
Repaint
or
Remodel,
or
for
other
information
about
making
your
home
lead­
safe,
call
1­
800­
424­
LEAD.

For
a
free
brochure
on
other
home
safety
issues,
call
HUD's
Healthy
Homes
hotline
at
1­
800­
HUDS­
FHA
or
visit
HUD's
Web
site
at
www.
hud.
gov.
HUD
is
on
your
side.

Sponsored
by
the
U.
S.
Department
of
Housing
and
Urban
Development
www.
hud.
gov