Lead Poisoning Prevention — Remodeling
the Older Home
Is Lead A Problem in Your Home?
Conducting a Risk Evaluation for Lead
 Does
your home contain lead? Old deteriorating paint, the dust that comes
off of chipping or peeling paint, bare soil, dust, and drinking water
are common sources of lead found in and around older buildings. However,
just because there is lead present in the home does not necessarily mean
there is cause for concern.
This information describes some of the most common conditions to look
for when identifying sources of lead that may be a problem in residential
property. The information in this fact sheet does not replace a lead
evaluation conducted by a lead professional licensed by the Minnesota
Department of Health (MDH).
Lead poisoning is a concern for both children and adults - breathing
or eating anything that contains too much lead can cause serious health
problems. Young children suffering from lead poisoning can experience
learning, behavior and health problems. Adults exposed to too much lead
can suffer from high blood pressure, kidney damage, and fertility problems.
The good news is that lead poisoning is preventable.
About 75 percent of homes built before 1978 contain some lead-based
paint. So, you should assume that a house painted before 1978 contains
some lead-based paint. The only way to know for sure if the paint does
not contain lead is to have it tested. To learn more about testing paint,
dust, soil and drinking water for lead call the MDH. Older homes may
have many layers of paint, and the older layers are more likely to contain
lead. Lead-based paint was used on the inside and outside of buildings,
as well as on window wells and sills, walls, trim, cabinets, radiators
and floors.
Lead-based paint is not dangerous as long as it remains intact, and
is not rubbed, bumped or damaged. To identify possible problem areas
in your home:
Look for chipping, peeling and deteriorating paint on fences, porches,
the exterior of the house, and other buildings on the property. Pay special
attention to windows and doors - the repeated motion of opening and closing
windows and doors can damage paint, creating lead paint chips and dust.
Examine swing sets and other play equipment. Some swing sets and other
play equipment may be covered with chipping or flaking lead-based paint.
Check the condition of old wallpaper - it may have been made with dyes
that contain lead.
Look for chipping, peeling and deteriorating paint inside the home,
especially on window wells and sills, doors, trim, baseboards, railings,
walls, floors and ceilings. Pay special attention to window wells and
sills, and doors - these areas often contain deteriorating lead-based
paint and lead dust.
Lead-based paint also may have been used on old toys and furniture -
check the condition of the paint on these items.
Check the condition of radiators and other painted surfaces in bathrooms.
Inadequate ventilation and continuous exposure to moisture can cause
paint to chip, peel or flake.
Lead dust is the most common source of lead exposure in young children.
Lead dust can chalk off of deteriorating lead-based paint, and can also
be found in lead-contaminated soil. People working with lead can also
get lead on their hair, body, clothing, and shoes and then bring the
harmful lead dust home to their families.
To help prevent exposure to lead dust:
Check window wells and sills for chipping and peeling paint. Deteriorating
paint in window sills and window wells is the most common source of lead
exposure in the home.
Be careful about tracking lead dust into the home. Family members or
pets can bring in lead-contaminated soil, dust, and paint into the home
- where it can end up on floors, or embedded in carpeting.
Be careful if you work with lead - at home, on the job, or while participating
in a hobby. An adult who works with lead can bring lead dust into the
home on their hair, body, clothing, and shoes - and expose the whole
family to harmful lead dust.
Learn how to safely work with lead as you repair or remodel an older
home. If you disturb any surfaces covered with lead-based paint, you
will release small particles of lead dust.
To find out if you may have a problem with lead-contaminated soil, ask
the following questions:
Is your property located near a busy street? Bare soil next to a busy
street or roadway can be contaminated with lead. During the years when
lead was used in gasoline, the exhaust from cars and trucks would release
small particles of lead into the air, and this lead fell into the soil.
The lead stays in the soil.
Do you have any bare soil areas - bare soil is any soil you can see
- around the foundation of a building, near a fence, or under a deck?
Are there paint chips in the soil? If so, your soil could be contaminated
with lead paint chips or lead dust.
Are there bare soil areas around the foundation of a building, or elsewhere
on the property where lead paint chips and dust may have fallen to the
ground, while a building was being scraped and painted in the past? These
paint chips and small pieces of lead dust could still be in the soil.
It is not common to find high amounts of lead in drinking water. To
find out if you may have a problem with lead in your drinking water,
ask this question:
Do you have lead water pipes, copper pipes joined with lead-based solder
or brass faucets? If the answer is yes, your drinking water could be
contaminated with lead. The only way to know for sure if you have too
much lead in your drinking water, is to have a sample analyzed by a certified
laboratory. Contact the MDH for information about taking the water sample,
and a list of certified laboratories.
If you have any of these conditions on your property, you may have a
problem with lead. The only way to know for sure is to have a lead evaluation
conducted by a professional licensed by MDH. The MDH offers free information
about how to manage and clean up sources of lead, and how to reduce lead
exposure.
For questions about this page, please contact the Lead
Program at health.lead@state.mn.us
or 651-201-4620. For specific lead questions, please use the contacts listed
on our Contact Us page.
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