our young children tested for lead, even if
they seem healthy.
: Wash childrens hands, bottles, pacifiers, and toys
often.
: Make sure children eat healthy, low-fat foods.
: Get your home checked for lead hazards.
: Regularly clean floors, window sills, and other
surfaces.
: Wipe soil off shoes before entering house.
: Talk to your landlord about fixing surfaces with
peeling or chipping paint.
: Take precautions to avoid exposure to lead dust
when remodeling or renovating (call 1-800-424-
LEAD for guidelines).
: Dont use a belt-sander, propane torch, heat gun,
dry scraper, or dry sandpaper on painted surfaces
that may contain lead.
: Dont try to remove lead-based paint yourself.
Simple Steps To Protect Your Family
From Lead Hazards
United States
Department of Housing
and Urban Development CPSC Regional Offices
Eastern Regional Center
Consumer Product Safety Commission
201 Varick Street, Room 903
New York, NY 10014
(212) 620-4120
Central Regional Center
Consumer Product Safety Commission
230 South Dearborn Street, Room 2944
Chicago, IL 60604
(312) 353-8260
Western Regional Center
Consumer Product Safety Commission
1301 Clay Street, Suite 610-N
Oakland, CA 94612
(510) 637-4050
HUD Lead Office
13
Please contact HUD's Office of Healthy Homes and Lead Hazard
Control for information on lead regulations, outreach efforts, and
lead hazard control and research grant programs.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Office of Healthy Homes and Lead Hazard Control
451 Seventh Street, SW, P-3206
Washington, DC 20410
(202) 755-1785
Your Regional CPSC Office can provide further information regard-
ing regulations and consumer product safety.
M
any houses and apartments built before 1978 have
paint that contains high levels of lead (called lead-
based paint). Lead from paint, chips, and dust can
pose serious health hazards if not taken care of properly.
Federal law requires that individuals receive certain information
before renting, buying, or renovating pre-1978 housing:
LANDLORDS have to disclose known infor-
mation on lead-based paint and lead-based
paint hazards before leases take effect.
Leases must include a disclosure form
about lead-based paint.
SELLERS have to disclose known informa-
tion on lead-based paint and lead-based
paint hazards before selling a house. Sales
contracts must include a disclosure form
about lead-based paint. Buyers have up to
10 days to check for lead.
RENOVATORS have to give you this
pamphlet before starting work.
IF YOU WANT MORE INFORMATION
on these requirements, call the
National Lead Information Center at
1-800-424-LEAD (424-5323).
Are You Planning To Buy, Rent, or Renovate
a Home Built Before 1978?
This document is in the public domain. It may be reproduced 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 pro-
vide complete protection in all situations or against all health hazards that can
be caused by lead exposure. 12
EPA Regional Offices
Region 1 (Connecticut, Massachusetts,
Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island,
Vermont)
Regional Lead Contact
U.S. EPA Region 1
Suite 1100 (CPT)
One Congress Street
Boston, MA 02114-2023
1 (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 209, Mail Stop 225
Edison, NJ 08837-3679
(732) 321-6671
Region 3 (Delaware, Maryland,
Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington DC,
West Virginia)
Regional Lead Contact
U.S. EPA Region 3 (3WC33)
1650 Arch Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103
(215) 814-5000
Region 4 (Alabama, Florida, Georgia,
Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina,
South Carolina, Tennessee)
Regional Lead Contact
U.S. EPA Region 4
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) 886-6003
EPA Regional Offices
Region 6 (Arkansas, Louisiana, New
Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas)
Regional Lead Contact
U.S. EPA Region 6
1445 Ross Avenue, 12th Floor
Dallas, TX 75202-2733
(214) 665-7577
Region 7 (Iowa, Kansas, Missouri,
Nebraska)
Regional Lead Contact
U.S. EPA Region 7
(ARTD-RALI)
901 N. 5th Street
Kansas City, KS 66101
(913) 551-7020
Region 8 (Colorado, Montana, North
Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Wyoming)
Regional Lead Contact
U.S. EPA Region 8
999 18th Street, Suite 500
Denver, CO 80202-2466
(303) 312-6021
Region 9 (Arizona, California, Hawaii,
Nevada)
Regional Lead Contact
U.S. Region 9
75 Hawthorne Street
San Francisco, CA 94105
(415) 947-4164
Region 10 (Alaska, Idaho, Oregon,
Washington)
Regional Lead Contact
U.S. EPA Region 10
Toxics Section WCM-128
1200 Sixth Avenue
Seattle, WA 98101-1128
(206) 553-1985
Your Regional EPA Office can provide further information regard-
ing regulations and lead protection programs.
IMPORTANT!
Lead From Paint, Dust, and
Soil Can Be Dangerous If Not
Managed Properly
FACT: Lead exposure can harm young
children and babies even before they
are born.
FACT: Even children who seem healthy can
have high levels of lead in their bodies.
FACT: People can get lead in their bodies by
breathing or swallowing lead dust, or by
eating soil or paint chips containing
lead.
FACT: People have many options for reducing
lead hazards. In most cases, lead-based
paint that is in good condition is not a
hazard.
FACT: Removing lead-based paint improperly
can increase the danger to your family.
If you think your home might have lead
hazards, read this pamphlet to learn some
simple steps to protect your family.
1 11
The National Lead Information Center
Call 1-800-424-LEAD (424-5323) to learn
how to protect children from lead poisoning
and for other information on lead hazards.
To access lead information via the web, visit
www.epa.gov/lead and
www.hud.gov/offices/lead/.
For the hearing impaired, call the Federal
Information Relay Service at 1-800-877-
8339 and ask for the National Lead
Information Center at 1-800-424-LEAD.
EPAs Safe Drinking Water Hotline
Call 1-800-426-4791 for information about
lead in drinking water.
Consumer Product Safety
Commission (CPSC) Hotline
To request information on lead in
consumer products, or to report an
unsafe consumer product or a prod-
uct-related injury call 1-800-638-
2772, or visit CPSC's website at:
www.cpsc.gov.
Health and Environmental Agencies
Some cities, states, and tribes have
their own rules for lead-based paint
activities. 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 local con-
tacts on the Internet at www.epa.gov/lead
or contact the National Lead Information
Center at 1-800-424-LEAD.
For More Information
2
People can get lead in their body if they:
: Breathe in lead dust (especially during
renovations that disturb painted
surfaces).
: Put their hands or other objects
covered with lead dust in their mouths.
: Eat paint chips or soil that contains
lead.
Lead is even more dangerous to children
than adults because:
: Childrens brains and nervous systems
are more sensitive to the damaging
effects of lead.
: Childrens 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.
Lead Gets in the Body in Many Ways
Childhood
lead
poisoning
remains a
major
environmen-
tal health
problem in
the U.S.
Even children
who appear
healthy can
have danger-
ous levels of
lead in their
bodies. 10
: Drinking water. Your home might have
plumbing with lead or lead solder. Call
your local health department or water
supplier to find out about testing your
water. You cannot see, smell, or taste
lead, and boiling your water will not get
rid of lead. If you think your plumbing
might have lead in it:
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.
: The job. If you work with lead, you
could bring it home on your hands or
clothes. Shower and change clothes
before coming home. Launder your work
clothes separately from the rest of your
familys clothes.
: Old painted toys and furniture.
: Food and liquids stored in lead crystal
or lead-glazed pottery or porcelain.
: Lead smelters or other industries that
release lead into the air.
: Hobbies that use lead, such as making
pottery or stained glass, or refinishing
furniture.
: Folk remedies that contain lead, such as
greta and azarcon used to treat an
upset stomach.
Other Sources of Lead
While paint, dust,
and soil are the
most common
lead hazards,
other lead
sources also exist.
3
Leads Effects
If not detected early, children with high
levels of lead in their bodies can suffer
from:
: Damage to the brain and
nervous system
: Behavior and learning
problems (such as hyperactivity)
: Slowed