Home Buyers Get Help against Lead Perils
by Thomas Kraeutler
What contributes to the number one environmental health threat to children, and can also make adults and pets really sick?
A. Cancer-causing sun rays through the hole in the sky's ozone layer.If you answered C, you're right. But people looking to buy new homes will soon have help against this often-invisible peril, thanks to new federal disclosure regulations slated to become effective next year.
B. Daily viewing of TV's hit show, the "Power Rangers".
C. Lead paint used in nearly 75% of all American homes.
D. All of the above.
Under the law, known as Title 10: Lead Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act of 1992, all potential home buyers will have to be told about any known lead paint in the house. They will also have to be warned about the particular prevalence of lead in homes built before 1978 and given the chance to have a house tested before buying.
We've known about the threats for decades, but we thought only large amounts--like eating flaking pieces of paint chips--could cause poisoning. Now, we know that even tiny amounts of lead can lead to serious problems. The government calls lead the most dangerous environmental threat to children for a reason.
Young kids are particularly vulnerable because of their developing bodies. They're put in danger simply from inhaling invisible particles of lead that become airborne during renovations. Or, they put their fingers in their mouths after touching window sills where lead dust accumulates just from opening and closing the windows. Even the soil around houses often contains microscopic particles of lead. Kids always stick their hands in their mouths after playing in the dirt. And the soil can also be tracked into the house and be harmful to crawling babies.
Even at low levels, lead may cause lower IQ, behavior problems and developmental delays. As a cumulative toxin--meaning it builds up in the blood, bones, and tissues and creates higher levels of poisoning--it can cause mental retardation, blindness, brain damage, kidney failure, paralysis and even death.
Since the early 1900's, lead was added to paint to make the colors brighter and increase its durability. The higher the lead content, the better the paint quality. Advertisers even boasted about lead levels as a mark of quality. Even when health effects were discovered in the 1950's, manufacturers were still adding lead because it made better paint. It wasn't until 1977 that the government prohibited manufacture of paint with more than 6% lead. In 1980, lead was completely banned in paint production.
Most homes built before 1980, and especially before 1960, have some lead. Virtually every three out of four homes--some 57 million across the country--are likely to have some lead paint.
The new title 10 regulations will be beneficial in reducing exposure to lead paint because it calls for educating the public and giving families the information they need to make an informed buying decision. If you're shopping for a three-bedroom, two-bath house and find one that may need a second bath added, you may not want to have that renovation done while you are living in the house with young children. If the house needs extensive restoration, you may choose not to buy it at all, and opt for one that has less potential for lead paint exposure.
For more information about the health effects, testing or treatment methods for lead, contact the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, Washington, DC 20207, for their pamphlet, "What You Should Know About Lead-Based Paint In Your Home". The federal Environmental Protection Agency runs a toll-free information Hotline: 1-800-LEAD-FYI. Also, the Conservation Law Foundation, 62 Summer St., Boston, MA 02110, offers $1.00 pamphlet, "Renovating Your Home Without Lead Poisoning Your Children".
Tom Kraeutler is a hands-on home improvement broadcast journalist and the kind of guy homeowners want to call at midnight when their basement floods. He earned his home improvement stripes as a professional home inspector, amassing over 20 years experience learning how houses are put together, and how they fall apart! Tom appears regularly on CNN, MSNBC, The History Channel, HGTV and the DIY Network. He's a columnist for House Beautiful and do! Magazine and his work has been featured in Smart Money, Reader's Digest and in hundreds of daily newspapers across the nation. 
