How To Reduce Lead Levels In Your Home

Lead is a highly toxic metal that produces a range of adverse health effects particularly in young children. An estimated 1 in 11 children have elevated levels of lead in their blood.

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.

The National Safety Council recommends the following precautions to protect you and your children from unnecessary exposure to lead:

• Roughly 57 million homes in the U.S. have some lead-based paint even though most paint made after 1978 contains no intentionally added lead. 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. In some states, landlords may be required by law to remove lead-based paint from homes where children have been poisoned. Check with local health officials.
• Since lead can come from the solder or plumbing fixtures in your home, water from each faucet should be tested. Call the EPA Safe Drinking Water Hotline (1-800-426-4791) for information on laboratories certified to test for lead.
• Mop floors and wipe window ledges and other areas with a solution of powdered automatic dishwashing detergent. If available, tri-sodium phosphate detergent or lead-specific cleaning products can be used.
• Keep the areas where children like to play as clean and dust-free as possible.
• Keep children away from areas where paint is chipped or peeling. Stop children from chewing on window sills or other painted surfaces.
• Make sure everyone washes their hands before meals, nap time, and bedtime.
• If your child's bottle or pacifier falls on the floor, wash it before giving it back to your child.
• Wash toys, stuffed animals, and bedding regularly.
• Send children and pets to a relative's or neighbor's house if you plan to renovate your house. Infants, children, and pregnant women should not be in the home while renovations are under way. Exposure to lead dust is hazardous.
• If you are pregnant, take as much care to avoid exposing yourself to lead as you would for your child. Lead can pass through your body to your unborn baby and cause health problems.
• Do not let your children eat sand, dirt, or paint chips. Encourage your children to play in grassy areas of the yard or playground. Plant grass in areas where children play if possible. Make sure children remove and wipe their shoes and wash their hands whenever they come inside after playing outdoors.
• Try to make sure your children eat a balanced diet with plenty of foods that contain iron and calcium. A child who gets enough of these minerals will absorb less lead. Foods rich in iron include eggs, lean red meat, and beans, peas, and other legumes. Dairy products such as milk, cheese, and yogurt are also recommended for their high calcium content.
• Do not store food or drink in containers made from crystal, because some crystal contains lead.

For More Information: Contact the National Safety Council's National Lead Information Center 1-800-LEAD-FYI

The National Safety Council is a not-for-profit, non-governmental, international public service organization dedicated to protecting life and promoting health. The Lowe's Home Safety Council is a nonprofit organization founded to enhance the quality of American home life by helping families improve the comfort of their homes through better knowledge and practice of home safety.

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