How can lead paint harm you

Lead-based paint does not present a health hazard as long as the paint is not chipping, flaking, crushed or sanded into dust. Low levels of exposure to lead can cause health effects such as learning disabilities and behavioural problems in children.

High levels of exposure to lead may cause lead poisoning and other issues such as anemia and impaired brain and nervous system functions. Currently there is no known safe level of lead exposure and no known safe blood lead concentration. However, as lead exposure increases, the range and severity of symptoms and effects also increases.

It is important to be aware of lead sources so you can minimize your health risks. Infants, children and pregnant women are at higher risk. Toddlers and children can ingest lead because of their frequent hand-to-mouth activity and tendency to mouth or chew objects.

Children absorb and retain more lead into their bodies compared to adults. For pregnant women, even low levels of lead can affect the growth of the developing baby.

Lead-based paint was commonly used in homes built before Both exterior and interior paint produced between and may also contain lead in smaller amounts. All post consumer paint produced in Canada or the United States for indoor use is virtually lead-free. Since , paint in Canada containing more than 0. When painting your home, make sure that the paint you use for the interior is lead-free.

Exterior paints used for the outside of a house may contain lead. If it contains lead, the paint will have a warning label. You can check painted surfaces for lead by using a home lead test kit or sending a paint chip sample to a certified laboratory. A licensed contractor, who has the proper x-ray equipment to detect lead on painted surfaces, can also tell you if your house has leaded paint.

Contact your local health authority environmental health officer for more information. Show references Lowry JA. Childhood lead poisoning: Clinical manifestations and diagnosis. Accessed Sept. Lead: Prevention tips. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Chelation therapy. Rochester, Minn.

Lowry JA. Childhood lead poisoning: Management. Prevention of childhood lead toxicity. Lead poisoning and health. World Health Organization. Lead toxicity: What are the physiologic effects of lead exposure? In , the federal government banned consumer uses of lead-based paint, but some states banned it even earlier.

Lead paint is still present in millions of homes, sometimes under layers of newer paint. If the paint is in good shape, the lead paint is usually not a problem. Deteriorating lead-based paint peeling, chipping, chalking, cracking, damaged, or damp is a hazard and needs immediate attention.

Lead-based paint may also be a hazard when found on surfaces that children can chew or that get a lot of wear-and-tear, such as:. Soil, yards and playgrounds can become contaminated when exterior lead-based paint from houses or buildings flakes or peels and gets into the soil. Soil may also be contaminated from past use of leaded gasoline in cars, from industrial sources, or even from contaminated sites , including former lead smelters.

Lead is also naturally occurring and it can be found in high concentrations in some areas. Lead in soil can be ingested as a result of hand-to-mouth activity that is common for young children and from eating vegetables that may have taken up lead from soil in the garden. Lead in soil may also be inhaled if resuspended in the air or tracked into your house thereby spreading the contamination.

Older playground equipment can still contain old lead-based paint, and artificial turf and playground surfaces made from shredded rubber can contain lead.

Take precautions to ensure young children do not eat shredded rubber or put their hands in their mouth before washing them. Read more on playgrounds and artificial turf fields. Put doormats outside and inside all entryways and remove your shoes before entering to avoid tracking contaminated soil into your house.

Wash hands several times a day using soap and water, especially after playing or working outside. Lead in household dust results from indoor sources such as old lead-based paint on surfaces that are frequently in motion or bump or rub together such as window frames , deteriorating old lead-based paint on any surface, home repair activities, tracking lead-contaminated soil from the outdoors into the indoor environment, or even from lead dust on clothing worn at a job site.

Even in well-maintained homes, lead dust can form when lead-based paint is scraped, sanded or heated during home repair activities. Even if your home was built before , you may not be immediately at risk: Just be sure that the paint on your walls is not deteriorating and is in good shape. Household dust can contain lead from the paint on the walls, but if you are diligent about dusting and vacuuming and maintaining the paint in high-traffic areas such as windows and window sills, doors and door frames, and stairs , the lead-based paint should not be a problem.

If you have a child or multiple children in your home, though, watch carefully to be sure they are not chewing on railings or other paint-covered surfaces, or touching walls and then putting their hands in their mouths. To be completely safe, you may want to consider treating any lead paint—covered surfaces, if you have children living in your home or visiting frequently. Lead-based paint is most dangerous when it is deteriorating—peeling, chipping, chalking, cracking, etc.

And if you plan to disturb the paint at all, perhaps for a big renovation, a repair, or simply a new coat of paint, you need to take extreme caution, as these activities can create toxic lead dust. To avoid contact with toxic lead dust, painters must wear filtered masks, specialized suits, and gloves, Lambert says.

If lead paint is present, contractors are legally obligated to follow these steps and other lead-safe work practices governed by the Renovation, Repair, and Painting, or RPR, Rule to reduce risk to employees, residents of the home, and the surrounding environment.

Failure to follow these rules can lead to a hefty fine.