Protect Your Family from Sources of Lead

Lead from paint, dust and soil in and around your home can be dangerous if not managed properly. 

This page provides information about potential sources of lead in:

• Older homes and buildings
• Soil, yards and playgrounds
• Dust
• Products
• Drinking water
• Jobs and hobbies
• Folk remedies

For more information about protecting your family from exposure to lead:

• How to make your home lead-safe
• Actions to reduce potential lead exposure

Older Homes and Buildings

If your home was built before 1978, it is more likely to have lead-based paint. In 1978, the federal government banned consumer uses of lead-based paint, but some states banned it even earlier.

Lead-based paint is still present in millions of homes, normally under layers of newer paint. If the paint is in good shape, the lead-based 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:

• Windows and window sills;
• Doors and door frames; and
• Stairs, railings, banisters, and porches.

A few tips to reduce sources of lead exposure in older homes and buildings:

• Inspect and keep all painted surfaces in excellent shape and clean up dust frequently with a wet cloth or paper towel. Read about simple steps to protect your family from lead hazards (PDF).
• Consult a certified lead professional before beginning renovation, repair or painting projects. Renovation, repair or painting activities can create toxic lead dust when painted surfaces are disturbed or demolished.  Learn more about hiring lead-safe certified contractors.
• Avoid tracking lead dust into the home by wiping and removing shoes before entering the home and placing dust mats both inside and outside of entryways. Read more about lead dust.
• Learn if you have a lead service line. Contact your water utility or a licensed plumber to determine if the pipe that connects your home to the water main (called a service line) is made from lead. Read more about lead in drinking water. 

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Soil, Yards and Playgrounds

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.

To reduce exposures to lead from soils, yards and playgrounds:

• Check the exterior of your home, including porches and fences, for flaking or deteriorating lead-based paint that may contaminate soil in your yard or be tracked into your house.
• 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.
• Plant bushes close to the house to keep children from playing in soil near your home.

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Dust

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. Lead paint chips and dust can get on surfaces and objects that people touch. Settled lead dust can re-enter the air when the home is vacuumed or swept, or people walk through it.

To reduce exposure to lead dust, it is especially important to:

• Maintain all painted surfaces in good condition.
• Clean frequently using a wet mop, cloth or sponge to reduce the likelihood of chips and dust forming.
• Use a lead-safe certified renovator to perform renovation, repair and painting jobs to reduce the likelihood of contaminating your home with lead dust. Find a lead-safe certified firm near you.

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Products