Many homes built before 1978 have paint that contains high levels of lead.

Lead-based paint is usually not a hazard if it is in good condition and is not on an impact or friction surface such as a window or a door. However, if the surface is deteriorating (peeling, chipping, chalking, cracking, or otherwise exposed) or is disturbed by renovation, it can be a health hazard.

When lead-based paint chips or mixes with household dust, it can stick to surfaces. Babies may ingest the lead when they touch the dust and then put their hands in their mouths. Settled lead dust can re-enter the air when people vacuum or sweep. Lead from soil can be tracked inside on people’s shoes.

Covering chipped paint is only a temporary fix. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends that homeowners hire “lead abatement contractors” to permanently seal or remove lead paint that deteriorates and poses a danger.

In the meantime, there are some things you can do to reduce the risk of lead poisoning:

• If you rent your home, notify the landlord of peeling or chipping paint.
• Clean up any and all paint chips immediately.
• Clean floors, window frames, window sills, and other surfaces every week. Use a mop or sponge with warm water and a general all-purpose cleaner or a cleaner made specifically for lead.
• Thoroughly rinse sponges/mops after cleaning dirty or dusty areas.
• Teach children to wash their hands often, especially before they eat and sleep. Make sure they wash their hands thoroughly, for at least 20 seconds (about as long as it takes to sing “The Alphabet Song” or “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”). Parents or caregivers will need to wash babies’ hands.
• Keep play areas clean. Wash bottles, pacifiers, toys, and stuffed animals regularly.
• Keep children from chewing window sills or other painted surfaces.
• Clean or remove shoes before entering your home to avoid tracking in lead or other contaminants.
• Make sure children eat nutritious, low-fat meals that are high in iron and calcium. Children with good diets absorb less lead.
• Repair damaged paint surfaces, temporarily reducing lead hazard. Monitor the area to make sure that the paint doesn’t continue to deteriorate. As a long-term solution, you’ll need the help of a certified lead abatement contractor trained in removing, sealing, or enclosing lead-based paint.
• Planting grass to cover soil with high lead levels is another temporary fix. Again, you’ll want to contact a lead abatement contractor to permanently eliminate the problem.
• After any repair work is done, dust clean up is necessary until lead dust levels meet acceptable standards of 40 micrograms (mcg) per square foot for floors, 250 mcg per square foot for interior window sills, and 400 mcg per square foot for window troughs.

If you live in an older home, have it tested for lead-based paints before beginning any renovations. If tests confirm that there are lead-based paints, consider the following precautions:

• Relocate your family (especially children and pregnant women) until the work is done and the area is properly cleaned. If that is not possible, seal off the work area.
• Avoid using any tools that create a lot of dust or fumes, such as belt sanders, dry scrapers, and dry sandpaper. Use low-dust practices, such as misting surfaces with water before scraping. If you must use a sander: isolate the area, wear at least a half-mask respirator, and ensure that it is “shrouded” (has a barrier that prevents dust from flying around) and attached to a HEPA filter.
• Avoid open flame/high heat paint removal tools. A heat gun set below 1100°F (590°C) may be used with caution, but the EPA suggests restricting its use to small areas.
• Avoid paint strippers with methylene chloride. Other chemical strippers can be used according to their instructions.
• Avoid uncontained hydroblasting. Blasting the surface with water can spread chips and debris over a far wider area. A protective enclosure should be used with these methods.
• Wear protective respiratory gear, such as a face mask.
• Patch cracks and holes to provide an intact surface for painting. Extensive cracking can be mended using a mesh system available at any hardware store. Follow the package directions.
• Clean up is especially critical if painted surfaces were broken or walls opened. Dust wipe samples can be taken to check lead levels.

Additional information about safe practices when painting or renovating an older home is available in a detailed guide from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

More information about screening and treatment is available from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the CDC, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Finally, talk with your children’s health care provider about having blood lead levels checked. This may be routinely done, but can otherwise be requested if you have any concern about your child’s exposure to lead paint.