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Lead Poisoning
What Is It?
Lead is a highly toxic metal that was used for many years in products found
in and around our homes. Lead may cause a range of health effects, from
behavioral problems and learning disabilities, to seizures and death. Children 6
years old and under are most at risk, because their bodies are growing quickly.
About two-thirds of the homes built before 1940, and one-half of the homes
built from 1940 to 1960 contain lead-based paint. Some homes built after 1960
but before 1978 may also contain lead paint. Most paint made after 1978 contains
no intentionally added lead, since it was banned from use on the interior and
exterior of homes.
If your home has lead paint, do not try to remove the lead from your home
yourself. Improper removal often makes the situation worse. Hire a qualified
contractor to do the work. Check with local health officials.
What Is the Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act?
The Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act of 1992, known as Title X, requires
that most home buyers and renters will receive known information on lead-based
paint hazards during sales and rentals of housing built before 1978. Sellers and
landlords are required to provide a lead-based paint disclosure form and a
federal pamphlet, titled Protect Your Family from Lead in Your Home, to
the buyer or renter before the sale or lease of certain property. Landlords are
also required to disclose information regarding lead-based paint to pre-existing
tenants if the property was built prior to 1978. Congress passed Title X to
protect families from exposure to lead by requiring disclosure of lead-based
paint hazards in residential property. Title X became effective for all
residential property built before 1978 on December 6, 1996.
What Are the Health Effects?
Exposure to excessive levels of lead can cause brain damage; affect a
child’s growth; damage kidneys; impair hearing; cause vomiting, headaches, and
appetite loss; and cause learning and behavioral problems. In adults, lead can
increase blood pressure and can cause digestive problems, kidney damage, nerve
disorders, sleep problems, muscle and joint pain, and mood changes.
Fetuses, infants, and children are more vulnerable to lead exposure than
adults since lead is more easily absorbed into growing bodies. Also, the tissues
of small children are more sensitive to the damaging effects of lead.
Exposure to lead is estimated by measuring levels in the blood (micrograms
per deciliter). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has set a
level of concern at 10 micrograms per deciliter. The CDC recommends testing
children at their one-year checkup or at six months if the child is at risk of
high-dose exposure.
How Can I Test to Determine If My Home Contains Lead-Based Paint?
The most accurate way to determine if your home has lead-based paint is to
hire a lead inspector to test the paint. Lead inspectors use XRF (x-ray)
instruments to determine content of lead in paint immediately. Another way is to
hire a risk assessor who will take samples from several locations in your home
and have them analyzed at a lab for lead content. If an individual is concerned
about a specific area in a home and wants to take a simple paint chip, dust, or
soil sample themselves, they can mail the sample directly to a certified
laboratory and have it analyzed. Taking a sample without an assessor is easy and
may be less expensive, but it only tests the area from which the paint, soil, or
dust sample was taken. A house may contain several layers of paint from
different periods so one or two samples may not be representative of the entire
residence.
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