MAINE INDOOR AIR QUALITY COUNCIL 

About Lead…

General Information:

The primary source of lead poisoning is lead based paint, which was commonly used until 1978.  About 80% of all Maine homes and apartments built before 1978could have lead paint in them.  40% of these dwellings, especially those built before 1950, could contain dangerously high levels of contamination.  (Other sources include water, marine paint, batteries, materials used for some hobbies, occupational hazards, sinkers and weights, pottery, foreign jewelry, and antique painted furniture.)  Lead can be found both inside and outside of a building, and in the soil adjacent to a structure.

Lead can enter the body through ingestion (touching your mouth with hands that are covered with lead dust) or inhalation (breathing in lead dust.)  Lead dust can be created through normal activities like opening and closing windows, or disturbing painted surfaces during renovations.

Children under the age of 6 (six) are at the highest risk of lead poisoning because:

§        They have more hand to mouth activity

§        They absorb approximately 50% of the lead they take into their bodies

§        Their nervous systems are still developing.

Health Effects:

Lead is a poison that attacks the nervous system.  The effects of lead on a child can be particularly severe.  Children exposed to lead can experience decreased growth, hyper-activity, impaired hearing, behavioral problems and learning disabilities, and in extreme cases, death.  Even very small amounts of lead can cause behavioral problems and learning disabilities.  Adults can suffer from difficulties during pregnancy, reproductive problems (both men and women), high blood pressure, digestive problems, nerve disorders, memory and concentration problems, and muscle and joint pain.

Most children experience NO symptoms of lead poisoning.  Adults may have tingles and numbness, headaches, and forgetfulness.  POSSIBLE symptoms for kids may include:  stomachache, headaches, loss of appetite, reduced attention span, tiredness.

Testing:

If your property was built prior to 1978, you should assume that it has at least some lead paint.  If you are unsure of which surfaces contain lead and which do not, you can hire a licensed lead inspector who can test your painted surfaces with a portable X-ray fluorescence machine.  For spot testing, “do it yourself” lead check kits are available at your local hardware store.  If these show a positive result, you know you have lead.  Do it yourself kits may not detect low levels of lead.  (Even very small amounts of lead are sufficient to poison a child.)

Lead Screening for Children:

Lead screening for children is easy and inexpensive.  Maine’s lead screening rates have been increasing over the past two years, but there are still many children who are missed.  Almost 500 Maine children are found to have elevated lead levels each year, and the average blood lead level for Maine children is twice as high as the national level.  If your child lives or plays in or around a property built before 1978, request (insist on) a lead screening from your physician. 

General Tips for a Lead-Safe Home

There are some simple and easy ways to keep a building lead-safe for its occupants:

1.          Keep Paint in Good Shape

§        Check often for peeling paint

§        Inspect for water damage that can make paint peel

§        Fix problems as soon as possible.

2.          Work safely and clean up if you paint or repair

§        Seal off the work space and keep children and pregnant women away from the area

§        Wet down the paint before you sand or scrape to control lead dust

§        Cover doors, windows, vents, floors and furniture with heavy plastic.  If possible, remove furniture from the room

§        Clean up your work area carefully with soap and water followed by vacuuming.  Dispose of all trash and dust in heavy plastic bags

3.          Keep your home free of lead dust

§        Wash floors and window sills often with soap and water and use fresh water to rinse

§        Use a vacuum with a HEPA filter.  A broom or carpet sweeper will not remove lead dust

4.          Watch where your children play

§        Look for areas with grass or other safe coverings

§        Avoid bare soil

5.          Test your child for lead

§        Children may not show signs of poisoning.  Contact your physician to arrange for an easy screening.

 Preventing Lead Poisoning as a Result of Renovations

Fact:  home renovations are associated with over half the childhood lead poisonings in Maine.

Because large amounts of dust are creating during the typical renovation process, property owners should take special precautions when remodeling or renovating a building, especially if the work includes removing paint or breaking through painted surfaces.  Using safe work practices will protect both you and the building occupants. 

If you are hiring a contractor to do work for you, consider hiring a certified abatement contractor or a contractor that has completed the one day Lead Smart Renovator Training offered by the Maine State Housing Authority.

Some simple tips to prevent exposure to lead during renovations:

Before the work begins:

§        Check the paint surfaces for lead

§        Cover interior and exterior exposed areas with plastic sheeting.

§        Turn off forced-air heating and air conditioning systems

During Work:

§        Keep all nonworkers, especially children, pregnant women and pets outside of the work area

§        Break large projects into several small projects so that you can control the amount of lead dust created.  Clean up after each phase of the project

§        Wear a properly fitted respiration equipped with HEPA filters

§        Wear protective clothing, such as coveralls, shoe covers, goggles, and gloves to keep dust off your skin.  Launder these items separately

§        Whenever possible, “work wet” to reduce dust.  Use spray bottles, sanding sponges.

§        Do not eat, smoke or drink in the work area to avoid accidentally swallowing lead dust.

§        Do not dry-sand, blast or power-wash to remove lead-based paint

§        Do not use high-temperature heat guns or open flames on lead-based paint

After the Work is Completed:

§        Remove plastic sheeting by rolling or folding inward

§        Wrap construction debris with plastic

§        Vacuum exposed areas with a HEPA filter-equipped vacuum cleaner

§        Wash exposed areas with a general all-purpose cleaner or lead-specific cleaning product

§        Change your clothes and shoes before leaving the work area to avoid carrying lead dust throughout the building

§        Machine wash your work clothes separately from other family laundry

§        Shower and wash hair right after finishing work to reduce dust contamination

§        Test areas for lead dust contamination after final cleanup.

Lead Paint Removal

If the original lead paint is in good condition (no cracking, flaking), it is recommended that you do not attempt to remove or disturb it.  Seal the lead paint with a newer paint product.  Do not sand.

If the original lead paint is cracking and flaking, you will need to contact a certified lead abatement professional.  Do not attempt to remove lead paint from surfaces on your own.

Maine Resources/Contacts

Health Questions (blood lead testing, education, and medical treatment):
Maine Department of Human Services Childhood Lead Poisoning Program
1- 207-287-4311
e-mail:  dianna.l.saunders@state.me.us
Services:  health questions, blood testing for lead, education and case management

Environmental Questions (home lead testing, reducing lead hazards, renovation/remodeling safety practices)
Maine Department of Environmental Protection Lead Licensing and Enforcement Program
1-800-452-1942
 www.state.me.us/dep
Services:  home lead testing information, ways to reduce lead hazards, renovation and remodeling safety practices, and a list of licensed lead inspectors.

Housing Questions (loans/grants, Community Action Program services)
Maine State Housing Authority
1-800-452-4668                        http://www.mainehousing.org/homerepair.html
Services:  Provides funding assistance for income eligible homeowners to undertake lead hazard control measures.   MSHA further operates a Lead Hazard Control Program through four regional Community Action Program (CAP) Agencies.  Provides free spot check lead test kits.           

Regional CAP Agencies (Lead Hazard Control Program) 

                        Aroostook County Action Program
                        1-207-764-3721
                        1-800-432-7881 

                        Community Concepts, Inc. (Oxford County)
                        1-207-743-7716 

                        Penquis Community Action Program (Penobscot County)
                        1-207-973-3500
                        1-888-424-0151 

                        Washington-Hancock Community Agency
                        1-207-546-7544
                        1-800-828-7544 

Federal Resources:

            Lead-Safe America Program (U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development)
            1-800-424-LEAD
            www.hud.gov 
Services:  Information about making homes lead safe.  Free copies of       “Lead Paint Safety:  A Field Guide for Painting, Home Maintenance and Renovation Work.”   

Web Resources

            EPA
            http://www.epa.gov/lead/
            good general information, plus lots of on-line brochure resources.

           National Safety Council:  Lead Fact Sheet
           http://www.nsc.org/library/facts/lead.htm

            U.S. Department of Labor:  Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA)
            http://www.osha-slc.gov/SLTC/lead/
            Worker and workplace safety issues of lead 

HUD’s Healthy Homes and Lead Hazard Control Program
            http://www.hud.gov/offices/lead/index.cfm
            general information about federal regulations and requirements