the proper equipment to clean up
thoroughly. Don't try to remove
lead paint yourself.
/ All occupants, especially children
and pregnant women, should leave
the building until all work is finished
and a thorough cleanup is done.
5. Don't bring lead dust
into your home.
If you work in construction, demolition or
painting, with batteries, or in a radiator repair
shop or lead factory, or if your hobby involves
lead, you may unknowingly bring lead into your
home on your hands or clothes. You may also be
tracking in lead from the soil around your home.
Soil very close to homes may be contaminated
from lead paint on the outside of the building.
Soil by roads or highways may be contaminated
from years of exhaust fumes from cars and trucks
that used leaded gas.
^ If you work with lead in your job or
hobby, change your clothes and shower
before you go home.
^ Encourage your children to play in sand
or grassy areas instead of dirt which
sticks to fingers and toys. Try to keep
your children from eating dirt, and make
sure they wash their hands when they
come inside.
6. Get lead out of your
drinking water.
Most well or city water does not naturally
contain lead. Water usually picks up lead inside
your home from household plumbing that is made
with lead materials. Boiling the water will not
reduce the amount of lead. Bathing is not a
problem because lead does not enter the body
through the skin.
The only way to know if you have lead in
your water is to have it tested. Call your
local health department or your water
supplier to see how to get it tested.
Household water will contain more lead if
it has sat for a long time in the pipes, is hot,
or is naturally acidic.
If you think your plumbing might have
lead in it:
1) Use only cold water for drinking, cooking,
and making baby formula.
2) Run water for 15 to 30 seconds before
drinking it, especially if you have not
used your water for a few hours.
3) Call EPA's Safe Drinking Water Hotline
for more information.
United States EPA 747-K-00-003
Environmental Protection October 2000
Agency
Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics (7404)
EPA Lead Poisoning
And Your
Children
7. Eat right.
A child who gets enough iron and calcium
will absorb less lead. Foods rich in iron include
eggs, lean red meat, and beans. Dairy products
are high in calcium.
/ Don't store food or liquid in lead crystal
glassware or imported or old pottery.
^ If you reuse plastic bags to store or carry
food, keep the printing on the outside of
the bag.
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Lead awareness and your
children
About 1 in 22 children in America have
high levels of lead in their blood, according to
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
You may have lead around your building without
knowing it because you can't see, taste, or smell
lead. You may have lead in the dust, paint, or soil
in and around your home, or in your drinking water
or food. Because it does not break down naturally,
lead can remain a problem until it is removed.
Before we knew how harmful it could be, lead
was used in paint, gasoline, water pipes, and many
other products. Now that we know the dangers of
lead, house paint is almost lead-free, leaded
gasoline has been phased out, and household
plumbing is no longer made with lead materials.
How lead affects your
child's health
The long-term effects of lead in a child can be
severe. They include learning disabilities, decreased
growth, hyperactivity, impaired hearing, and even
brain damage. If caught early, these effects can be
limited by reducing exposure to lead or by medical
treatment. If you are pregnant, avoid exposing
yourself to lead. Lead can pass through your body
to your baby. The good news is that there are simple
things you can do to help protect your family.
1. Get your child tested.
Even children who appear healthy may have
high levels of lead. You can't tell if a child has
lead poisoning unless you have him or her tested.
A blood test takes only ten minutes, and results
should be ready within a week.
Blood tests are usually recommended for:
/ Children at ages 1 and 2.
/ Children or other family members who
have been exposed to high levels of lead.
/ Children who should be tested under
your state or local screening plan.
To find out where to have your child tested,
call your doctor or local health clinic. They can
explain what the test results mean, and if more
testing will be needed.
2. Keep it clean.
Ordinary dust and dirt may contain lead.
Children can swallow lead or breathe lead
contaminated dust if they play in dust or dirt
and then put their fingers or toys in their mouths,
or if they eat without washing their hands first.
/ Keep the areas where your children play
as dust-free and clean as possible.
/ Wash pacifiers and bottles after they fall
on the floor. Keep extras handy.
/ Clean floors, window frames, window
sills, and other surfaces weekly. Use a mop,
sponge, or paper towel with warm water and
a general all-purpose cleaner or a cleaner
made specifically for lead. REMEMBER:
NEVER MIX AMMONIA AND BLEACH
PRODUCTS TOGETHER SINCE THEY
CAN FORM A DANGEROUS GAS.
/ Thoroughly rinse sponges and mop heads
after cleaning dirty and dusty areas.
/ Wash toys and stuffed animals regularly.
/ Make sure your children wash their hands
before meals, nap time, and bedtime.
3. Reduce the risk from
lead paint.
Most homes built before 1960 contain
leaded paint. Some homes built as recently as
1978 may also contain lead paint. This paint
could be on window frames, walls, the outside
of your house, or other surfaces. Tiny pieces of
peeling or chipping paint are dangerous if eaten.
Lead paint in good condition is not usually a
problem except in places where painted surfaces
rub against each other and create dust. (For
example, when you open a window, the
painted surfaces rub against each other.)
/ Make sure your child does not chew on
anything covered with lead paint, such as
painted window sills, cribs, or playpens.
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Protect Your Children From
Lead Poisonin
i
2
3
4
5
6
7
Get your child
tested for lead
poisoning, even
if he or she
seems healthy.
Clean floors,
window frames,
window sills, and
other surfaces
weekly. Use a
mop, sponge, or
paper towel with
warm water and a
general all-purpose
cleaner or a cleaner
made specifically
for lead.
Reduce the risk of
lead paint. Make
sure your child is
not chewing on
anything covered
with lead paint.
Don't try to
remove lead
paint yourself.
Don't bring lead
dust into your
home from work
or a hobby.
Have your water
tested. If the cold
water hasn't been
used for more than
a few hours, let it
run for 15-30
seconds before
drinking it or
cooking with it.
Eat right and don't
store food in high-
lead pottery.
Lead poisoning is a serious problem for young children
the younger the child, the greater the risk.
EPA's Safe Drinking Water Hotline
1-800-426-4791
For More Information
National Lead Information Center
1-800-424-LEAD
Visit our web site
http ://www.epa.gov/lead
United States Environmental Protection Agency • Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics • Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water
Recycled/Recyclable — Printed with vegetable oil based inks on recycled paper (30% minimum post-consumer)
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