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of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

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    Protect Your Family from Lead Poisoning

    Lead poisoning is preventable! The first step you can take to prevent lead poisoning is to have your child tested for lead. Children under 6 years of age are at the greatest risk for health problems from lead exposure and need to be tested at age 1 year and 2 years, or before 6 years of age if there is no record of ever being tested.

    Sources of Lead

    Lead is a toxic metal that can be found throughout a child’s environment. Homes built before 1978 (when lead-based paints were banned) probably contain lead-based paint. When lead-based paint peels and cracks, it makes lead dust. Children can be exposed to lead when they swallow or breathe in lead dust.

    Lead Exposure Frequently Asked Questions

    Lead exposure can cause:

    • Damage to the brain and nervous system
    • Learning and school performance problems
    • Hearing and speech problems
    • Slowed growth and development
    • Learning and behavioral problems

    • A child living in or regularly visiting a home built before 1978.
    • A child living in an older home that is under renovation or repair.
    • A child who has been exposed to peeling, chipping, or deteriorating paint.
    • A child living near a known source of lead.
    • Immigrant and refugee children from less developed countries.
    • A child whose family member has a job or hobby that involves lead.

    Most children exposed to lead do not look or feel sick. A blood lead test is the best way to find out whether your child has been exposed. Talk to your child’s healthcare provider about a lead test!

    Healthcare providers can test for lead in the blood. The cost of blood lead testing for children enrolled in Medicaid is covered by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid services.

    Follow your child’s healthcare provider’s instructions and continue to take needed actions to prevent your family from lead poisoning.  

    Work with your healthcare provider and take immediate action to intervene.

    Below are some of the actions you may need to take:

    • Do not miss follow-up testing recommended by your child’s healthcare provider.
    • Follow your child’s healthcare provider’s instructions and continue to take needed actions.
    • Have your home tested for lead to identify the source of lead. If you have additional questions about testing your home for lead, call the Lead Information Line at: 1-800-440-5323
    • Testing your home by yourself with hardware store test kits is not recommended because it may not give you accurate information. Lead testing should be done by a certified lead professional. Here is the list of lead professionals who can test your home for lead in Pennsylvania: Lead Inspectors and Risk Assessors | Department of Labor and Industry | Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
    • Call your county and ask about free lead hazard control services. Some counties in Pennsylvania have lead hazard control programs that help eligible families to control the lead hazard in their home.
    • Talk to your child’s healthcare provider about early intervention services. Children with blood lead levels at or greater than 3.5 micrograms per deciliter need to be monitored closely for developmental milestones.

    This interactive toolkit has county-specific resources and phone numbers for lead-related services: Parent Resource Toolkit - Lead Free Promise Project

    Prevent Lead Exposure

    • Regularly wash children's hands that can become contaminated from household dust or exterior soil.
    • Regularly wet-mop floors and horizontal surfaces because household dust can be a major source of lead.
    • Make sure your child does not have access to peeling paint or chewable surfaces painted with lead-based paint.
    • If you have peeling or chipping lead-based paint, have it removed by qualified professionals.
    • Create barriers between living/play areas and lead sources until environmental clean-up is completed. You can apply barriers, such as contact paper or duct tape, to cover holes in walls or to temporarily block children's access to sources of lead.
    • Make sure to renovate safely. Common renovation activities (like sanding, cutting, replacing windows, and more) can create hazardous lead dust. If you're planning renovations, use contractors certified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency  (EPA).
    • Keep children and pregnant women away from housing undergoing renovation and from participating in activities that disturb old paint or in cleaning up paint debris after work is completed.
    • If you can’t afford to hire a certified lead contractor, use lead -safe renovations for DIYers: Lead-Safe Renovations for DIYers | US EPA

    Lead Hazard Control

    Lead hazard control is a means of taking steps to identify, reduce, or permanently eliminate sources of lead exposure in a home. Lead hazard control measures can involve repairing or stabilizing deteriorated painted surfaces, replacing lead-painted windows and doors, removing lead-contaminated dust through specialized cleaning, and covering lead-contaminated paint. Not all counties in Pennsylvania have lead hazard control services; please call your county or the Lead Information Line at 1-800-440-5323 to learn more.