How much is too much?  

The danger from lead paint depends on:

• The amount of lead in the painted surface

• The condition of the paint

• The amount of paint that gets into your child

Lead levels in paint are measured in parts per million (ppm). The greater the amount of lead in paint, the higher the ppm number. The federal government currently allows 600 ppm of lead in household paint. 5,000 ppm or over is a high amount of lead in paint. If paint is peeling or chipping, a child can easily eat it during normal play.

How does the lead get from the paint into my child?

Over many years, painted surfaces crumble into household dust. This dust clings to toys, fingers and other objects that children normally put in their mouths. This is the most common way that lead gets into your child. Children also get lead into their bodies by chewing on lead painted surfaces. Some young children eat paint that is peeling or chipping.

What do I do if my home has been painted with lead-based paint?

There are many dangers involved in removing lead paint from your home. Every member of your family can be poisoned if removal is done incorrectly. There are three ways to make the lead paint in your home less dangerous. The first two below are the safest ways to handle lead paint and they should be considered first.

Replace it.

Replacing a lead painted object means removing the object from the house and replacing it with a new, lead-free item. For example, a door may be removed by its hinges and replaced with a new, safe door. Do not burn any lead-painted item you remove from your home. Wrap the item in heavy plastic and keep it away from your children. This takes the lead out of your home and it does not create a lot of lead dust.

Cover it.

It best to cover surfaces that cannot be replaced, such as walls or floors, with a long lasting, tough material like sheetrock, paneling or floor tiles. Because covering does not get the lead paint out of your home, walls or floors that are newly covered must be kept in good condition. Repainting with new paint or hanging wallpaper is not a permanent method of covering lead paint. If the new paint or wallpaper peels, the lead paint will be exposed again.

Remove it.

Sanding, burning or scraping lead paint is the most dangerous way of removing lead paint! this makes large amounts of lead dust or fumes which can poison workers, household members, and pets.

WARNING: THERE ARE MANY PRECAUTIONS THAT NEED TO BE FOLLOWED BEFORE YOU BEGIN

• Pregnant women, children, and family pets should not be present when this type of work is being done. Only those who are working should be in the home and the work area should be sealed off from the rest of the house with heavy plastic and tape.

• A special respirator should be worn by the people removing the paint to prevent lead dust from being inhaled. There are two precautions to follow before using a respirator:

  • have your respirator professionally fitted

  • use a respirator only with a doctor's advice

• Do not eat, drink, chew gum or smoke in the work area.

• Outdoor work should not be done on a windy day because the lead dust may poison workers and neighbors.

• Use a drop cloth to catch and contain any paint chips.

• Never sand, burn, scrape or use paint remover with methylene chloride on lead paint. All paint removers are hazardous. Follw the instructions printed on the label.

• Test the paint in any area you plan to remodel before you begin the work.

           (See below: Testing Your Paint for Lead.)

These are just a few of the precautions that need to be followed. If these and others are not followed, lead poisoning may occur. Before you begin this type of project, call your local health department to find out how to make this project as safe as possible.

Testing your paint for lead

Painted surfaces that your child has chewed, or woodwork in your child's room, are good areas to test. Woodwork, such as doors, windows or trim will often have high levels of lead in the paint. Any area that is peeling is also a good choice. Any room that you want to remodel should also be tested before the work is started.

Samples from different areas should be kept separate.

• Use a knife to scrape sections of paint, at least the size of a quarter, down to the bare wood or plaster. Do not take the wood or plaster with your sample or your paint results will not be accurate.

• Put the samples in clean, ordinary plastic bags. With a permanent marker, write where you got the sample from on the bag.

Send the samples to a lab certified by the California Department of Health Services. A list of certified labs is available from your local health department.

Click here for contact information

   Mailing Address: County of Santa Cruz  Health Services Agency
   1080 Emeline Avenue, Santa Cruz, CA 95060 | Phone: 831 454 4000 | Fax: 831 454 4770
   Hearing Impaired TDD: 831 454 2123 | copyright© 2000 County of Santa Cruz