Lead Exposure

What is Lead?

Lead is a heavy, toxic metal that can be harmful to people’s health, especially at high levels. It was once used in paint, water pipes, gasoline, and many other household products. U.S. laws have changed so children are not exposed as much as they used to be. Unfortunately, children who live in old housing units can still be exposed through water and chipping paint. 

What is lead exposure?

Lead exposure is a build-up of lead in the body overtime. It can lead to negative effects on a person’s health such as reduced IQ, poor growth, and decreased appetite. In rare cases children can become incredibly sick, requiring hospitalization. 

How is lead exposure measured?

A blood test can be used to see if an individual has been exposed to lead. A lead level of 5 or higher is concerning, but no level of lead in the blood is safe. This test is done routinely at 9 months and 2 years of age. This test is also done on new patients under the age of 5.

What are the symptoms?

  • Sometimes no symptoms are present
  • Sleepiness
  • Learning problems
  • Weight loss
  • Weakness and little energy
  • Not eating a lot
  • Irritability
  • Headaches
  • Constipation 
  • Behavior problems
  • Anemia 
  • Stomach pain
  • Vomiting or Nausea
  • Metallic taste in mouth
  • Joint/muscle weakness and pain
  • Seizures

Who is at risk?

  • Children – Babies and infants crawl and tend to touch and put everything in their mouth, including lead dust and paint. Since children are growing, their bodies absorb more lead. Children’s nervous systems and brains are more sensitive to the damaging effects of lead. Children that live in houses that were built before 1978 are at higher risk. This is due to the lead paint and old plumbing that is still in the homes.
  • Pregnant people – Pregnant people can be exposed from eating/drinking foods that contain lead or from materials that have lead. Pregnant people are also at risk for lead exposure if they live or work in a place with lead exposure. A pregnant person with lead exposure can expose their developing baby to lead exposure. Resources from the CDC in English or Español  
  • Adults – workplace exposures and homes can increase the risk of lead exposure
  • Workplaces such as: 
  • Artists
  • Auto repair
  • Construction workers
  • Plumbers

How can I be exposed to lead?

  • Paint in homes built before 1978
  • Contaminated soil 
  • Water that comes from lead pipes 
  • Dust
  • Traditional folk medicines such as Greta and Azarcon, Ghasard, and Ba-baw-san (find more information on the CDC’s website)
  • Toys containing lead paint or metal parts

What is the treatment?

  • Reduce lead exposure
  • Increase Iron, Calcium, and Vitamin C in the diet
  • Severe cases: Medication with possible hospitalization 

What are the effects?

  • Increased risk of developmental effects
  • Negative effects on brain and nervous system
  • Behavior and learning problems
  • Lower IQ and Hyperactivity
  • Slowed growth
  • Hearing problems
  • Anemia
  • Decreased bone and muscle growth
  • Poor muscle coordination
  • Speech and language problems
  • Seizures and unconsciousness (in cases of extremely high lead levels)

How can I protect my family from lead exposure?

  • Eat foods high in iron, calcium, and vitamin C. Lead is absorbed faster on an empty stomach so encourage snacking on healthy snacks:
    • Orange juice
    • Vegetables: broccoli, peppers, spinach
    • String cheese
    • Fruit: oranges, papayas, berries
  • CDC guide: 5 things you can do to help lower your child’s lead level in English or Español
  • Wipe down window sills and floors with a wet cloth or mop to decrease lead dust
  • Keep children away from peeling or chipping paint
  • Speak to landlord about peeling or chipping paint, to remove it safely
  • Be aware of old plumbing pipes that may contain lead

What can I do if my child has an elevated lead level?

If your child has a lead level above 10, our office will contact the City of Philadelphia’s Lead and Healthy Homes Program. The city will contact you to offer services and resources. From their website: “Two people will schedule a visit to your home: a health educator and a licensed lead inspector. The health educator will provide information and resources to help you keep your home free of lead dust. The licensed lead inspector will test every painted surface to see where there is lead in your home. We provide these services free of charge.”

If the city inspection finds lead in your home, they will help make sure the lead is removed from your home. You may be eligible for funding from the city to help remove the lead. If you are not eligible, they will contact the property owner to make sure the lead is safely removed. 

For more information, you can also visit the City’s Lead Guide website.

What if my child’s lead level is elevated but below 10?

The City of Philadelphia only provides direct services if your child’s lead level is above 10. But there is no safe level of lead. If your child has a high lead level, you may want to identify and remove sources of lead exposure in your home on your own.

How can I find out if there is lead in my home?

Children can be exposed to lead in their home environment or by items in the home such as toys, food, jewelry, or traditional remedies made outside the US. There are 3 major ways that children can be exposed to lead in and around your home: paint, water, and soil. All 3 of these can be tested for lead. 

Lead Paint

Lead paint is the most common source of lead exposure in the home. It can be found in any building built before 1978. Paint that is in good condition may not be a danger. Lead paint that is damaged or is in an area with a lot of wear and tear is more likely to be dangerous to you and your family. You can test for lead in your home using EPA-certified lead testing kits. 

Lead Paint Testing

Important places to test (from the EPA):

  • Any place that paint is peeling, chipping, chalking, cracking, damaged, or damp
  • Windows and window sills
  • Doors and door frames
  • Stairs, railings, banisters, and porches

If you are considering repainting or doing any renovations, you should also test for lead paint under intact paint. You should test in every area that could be disturbed by the renovation. 

Testing Kits: There are only two commercially available lead testing kits certified by the EPA. You should buy and use these specific kits. This will help make sure you are getting reliable results. These kits are 3M™ LeadCheck™ and D-Lead® (ESCA Tech, Inc.). They can be ordered online or purchased at some hardware stores. For instructions on how to use these kits to test for lead paint, you can watch these videos for 3M LeadCheck (painted wood and metal or painted plaster/drywall) and D-Lead. 

If you are concerned about lead exposure from any household objects, you may be able to use the 3M LeadCheck swabs to test these items. Check the instructions on the package to see if the swabs can be used on the material you want to test.

If you want to, you can have your home tested for lead by a certified professional. You can hire certified inspectors/risk assessors (defined by the PA State Lead Certification Act). Risk assessors have a higher level of training and certification than regular inspectors. Inspectors tell you if there is lead paint in your home. Risk assessors can tell you how dangerous any lead in your home may be to you and your family. You can find a list of PA state certified lead inspectors and risk assessors here. Look at the “Lead Class Codes” column. “04” means they are a certified building inspector. “05” means they are a certified risk assessor. The EPA does not oversee the lead paint program in PA, but they do keep a list of certified inspection firms that you can search here.

What can I do if I find lead paint in my home?

If you find lead paint and want to have the lead paint removed without other renovations, this process is called lead abatement. If you do any renovations at the same time, the process is considered renovation not abatement. But the renovation still needs to be performed by a contractor certified to safely remove lead. You should not do any painting, scraping, or sanding on your own. Trying to remove lead paint yourself can be very dangerous. 

It is safest to have lead permanently removed, but it can be expensive. Your home can also be made “lead-safe” instead of “lead-free” by having the areas painted over with special paint or covered with other material to enclose the lead hazards. These methods need maintenance to keep the home safe but may be more affordable. 

Lead Paint Abatement 

Lead paint abatement is regulated by the Department of Labor & Industry in Pennsylvania. The DLI maintains a list of certified lead abatement contractors on their website.

Renovating Homes with Lead Paint

Contractors who perform renovations involving lead paint are regulated by the EPA through their Lead Renovation, Repair, and Painting Program. You can find certified lead dust inspectors and certified contractors through their website. Their list is very long, but you can easily use it to check if a local contractor has an active certification.

Water Testing

Drinking water supplied to your home is required to be tested for lead. But the pipes that carry water from the water main to your home, called a service line, may contain lead. Fixtures such as taps in your home may also contain lead. These pipes and fixtures may add lead to your water. You can use these instructions from the Philadelphia Water Department to check your service line for lead (PDF or video). If you think you have a lead service line or have old fixtures, you may want to test your water for lead. 

For Philadelphia residents: The Philadelphia Water Department will test your water quality for free. You can read more here or call them at (215) 685-6300 to request a test.

If you live outside of Philadelphia: Start by contacting your water company to ask about water quality testing. They may test your water or can offer information about local labs that are certified for lead testing. You can also search for PA Department of Environmental Protection certified labs here.

Soil Testing

The soil around your home can be contaminated with lead from sources such as old paint and leaded gasoline. This lead can be dangerous to children who play in the yard. They are likely to eat and breathe in small amounts of soil while they are playing. Lead in soil can also enter your home on your shoes. This is especially dangerous to young children because they are more likely to touch the floor and put their hands in their mouths. PennState Extension has a helpful page on lead in residential soils, including testing and managing lead.

Tips to reduce exposure to potentially-contaminated soil from the EPA:

  • Check the exterior of your home, including porches and fences, for flaking or deteriorating lead-based paint that may contaminate soil in your yard or be tracked into your house.
  • Put doormats outside and inside all entryways and remove your shoes before entering to avoid tracking contaminated soil into your house.
  • Wash hands several times a day using soap and water, especially after playing or working outside.
  • Plant bushes close to the house to keep children from playing in soil near your home.

If you are concerned about lead in the soil around your home, you can have it tested by a certified laboratory. PennState College of Agricultural Sciences offers lead soil testing through their laboratory. You can also find a laboratory on this list of laboratories certified by the National Lead Laboratory Accreditation Program at the EPA. You can use this list to find a lab in your area and call the lab for details on testing. This video from the University of Minnesota shows how to collect soil samples for a lead test. 

If your soil tests positive for lead, you can read this resource from the Philadelphia Department of Public Health or the PennState Extension site for initial guidance.

How can I pay to make my home lead-safe or lead-free?

For renters: Keeping your home safe from lead hazards is the responsibility of your landlord. If you rent your home anywhere in Philadelphia and have a child under the age of 6, your landlord is required to certify your home as lead-free or lead-safe. If you have a child under 6 years old with an elevated lead level (10+), you may be eligible for funding from the city to help make your home lead-safe. If the city cannot help you, they will contact the property owner and make sure that work is done to make your home safe. 

Starting in October 2020, landlords in some Philadelphia zip codes are required to certify all rental properties as lead-free or lead-safe. Landlords are not allowed to sign a new lease or renew their rental license unless the property is safe. The law is going into effect at different times for different zip codes, but all zip codes will be covered by summer 2022. The law goes into effect first in areas with the highest number of children at risk for lead poisoning. You can see the list of when the law goes into effect in each zip code and read more about the law on the city’s website.

If the law does not apply to your neighborhood yet, you still have the right to have damaged paint fixed. Philadelphia law requires all landlords to keep rental properties in good condition, including paint, whether or not there are children living in the home. If your landlord refuses to fix peeling, chipping, or otherwise damaged paint in your home, you have the right to report them. You can make a report by calling 311 to contact the Department of Licenses and Inspections. If you need advice or assistance with any issues related to renting, you can contact the Philly Tenant Hotline at 267-443-2500 or visit phillytenant.org.

For homeowners

Paint and Soil: If you have a child under 6 years old with an elevated lead level (10+), you may be eligible for funding from the city to help make your home lead-safe. Eligibility is based on income and other factors. The city also funds the Restore, Repair, Renew initiative. This program helps homeowners get loans to make repairs to their homes. Loans through this program have much lower interest rates than most people can get from banks or other lenders. 

Water: If you have a lead service line, you can get help getting it replaced from the Philadelphia Water Department (PWD). If PWD is replacing the water main on your street, they will replace your lead service line for free. You will receive a letter from PWD several months before work starts so you can tell them you want the pipe replaced. If the water main is not being replaced, the PWD Homeowner’s Emergency Loan Program (HELP) provides loans with no interest to help pay for replacement.

Recursos en español: EPA tiene educación y recursos sobre el plomo aquí.