Lead-Based Paint Hazards in Housing
Health experts agree that exposure to lead-contaminated dust from lead-based paint in older homes is the primary cause of lead poisoning in young children. Lead dust settles quickly, is difficult to clean up, and can be invisible to the naked eye. Young children usually are poisoned through normal hand-to-mouth activity. Much less common, children may also ingest paint chips or flakes.
The mere presence of lead-based paint in a home is not a hazard. Two-thirds of all U.S. housing contains some leaded paint, and the vast majority of children live safely in these homes and apartments. The hazards arise primarily in two scenarios. Most commonly, children are poisoned by lead dust stemming from deteriorated paint in poorly maintained older housing. A lesser number of cases - though often more serious - are caused by remodeling projects that disrupt old painted surfaces without proper safeguards to control, contain, and clean-up lead dust.
» Preventing Lead Paint Poisoning:
The easiest way to avoid the problems associated with lead paint poisoning is to prevent your child being exposed to it in the first place. There are surprisingly simple actions parents can take to avoid exposing their children to lead paint. The Environmental Protection Agency recommends that parents take the following measures if they suspect their home or apartment contains lead paint:
- Those renting houses should notify their landlord of any peeling or chipping paint
- Rinse sponges and mop heads each time they are used to clean dusty or dirty areas.
- Keep children’s play areas extremely clean. Wash anything that the child may put in their mouth including but not limited to pacifiers and toys.
- Ensure that children do not chew on any painted surfaces
- Have a rule that everyone must take off their shoes before entering your home/apartment
- Clean window frames, window sills, floors, and other surfaces weekly with a sponge, mop, or paper towel. Use warm water and a general all purpose cleaning solution such as Windex or one particularly made to remove lead. Do not mix ammonia and bleach products together when cleaning.
- Serve your children nutritious, low fat meals that are high in iron and calcium, especially dairy and spinach products.
- Repair damaged paint surfaces and plant grass to cover soil contaminated areas.
Some parents may wish to remove lead paint from their house altogether. Those who wish to do this should not try to simply repaint their house and especially should not attempt to remove the paint. Repainting the house will do little to remove the lead paint and may dislodge lead paint peelings that could contaminate your child. Removing the lead paint can cause lead to be released into the air causing a much bigger hazard that when it was simply on the walls. Rather, parents should hire a licensed lead abatement contractor who will remove or seal the paint in a safe manner.
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