LEAD-BASED PAINT DANGER MostIllinoishomesbuiltbefore 1978 werepaintedwithlead-basedpaint. Renovatingorrefinishinglead paint surfacescreates dust, fumesandde- bris thatcancauseleadpoisoning. Leadpoisoningisaconditioncaused mostoftenbyeatingleadpaintchips orinhalingoreatingleaded dust. Leadpoisoningisoneofthemost commonand mostseriouschild healthproblems. Itisestimated that twooutofevery 10childreninIllinois havebloodlead levelsthataretoo high. City, suburbanandrural childrenare allatrisk. NOVATION - Childrenages 6months through6 How to safely remove yearsareatgreatestriskforleadpoi- soninginpartbecauseyoungchildren old paint puteverythinginto theirmouths. Lead isespeciallyharmfulto infants and toddlersbecausetheirbodies absorb lead moreeasilythanadult bodiesdo. Lead poisoningcanslow a child's developmentandcauselearn- ingandbehaviorproblems. Even smallamountsoflead canseriously harmayoungchild, causingdamage tothebrain, kidneys and stomach. Lead alsocanharmpregnantwomen and theirunbornchildren. Ifyouplan to renovateyourhome, have Jheonlywaytofind outifyour poisoning and homecontainsleadpaintis tohave how topreventlead aninspection. Contactyourlocal exposure. health departmentfor information on lead inspections. • Ifyou mustdo theworkyourself, useproperprecautions to remove BE ALERTTO THE DANGERS OF old paint and painted surfaces safe- REMOVING OLD PAINT ly. Contact the Illinois Department ofPublicHealth's Childhood Lead Toprotectyourfam—ilyfromlead PoisoningPreventionProgramat duringrenovation 217-782-3517or217-782-0403 or800-545-2200orTTY800-547-0466 • Donotremainathome during the forinformationonsafemethods of renovation. Itisespecially impor- renovationorre-modeling. tant thatyoungchildren and pregnantwomennotremainin RENOVATION SAFETYTIPS areas whereworkis underway. Whenworkis complete, do not • Thesafesttimetorenovateorremod- reenter the area untilithasbeen eliswhenthehouseisunoccupied. thoroughlycleaned. • Protect all food appliances, cook- • Onlyproperlyprotected workers ingand eating utensils, furniture, should enter the workarea. bedding, toys and clothing from lead dust. Remove these items • Renovators workinginresidential from thework area or cover orbag dwellings and daycare facilities them inplastic and seal tightly. mustprovide the owner and occu- pantwithaneducational pamphlet. • Donoteator smoke in thework Additionally, the owner and occu- area to avoid getting dustfrom your pantmustsign a statementthat the hands or clothing inyourmouth. renovator distributed the pamphlet. Washyourhands thoroughly. Ifyou hire contractors, make sure they understand thenotification • Place a damp floormat outside the requirements and are familiarwith work area to collectdust from the causes oflead thebottom ofshoes. • Even removingwallpaper or loose plastercan create lead dust. To clean up, use a clean damp cloth or mop dampened with a cleaning product. Do notvacuum dust SCREENING FOR LEAD POISONING Have family members, particularly children 6 months through6 yearsof age, tested for lead poisoningby a physicianorother healthcare and debris as provider when renovationofan vacuuming may olderhome iscomplete. push lead dust into the air, spreading it A child may have lead poisoningyet to other parts of the house. not have any symptoms. Ora child may have symptoms like thoseofa • Wash work clothes and clean- cold or the flu. Theonly way to up rags separately from other detect lead poisoningearly is to laundry. bring yourchild to your local clinic, public health clinicor physician to WHAT ABOUT RENOVATING havea simpleblood test. MY HOME'S EXTERIOR? Foradditional information on how • When removing exterior paint, to safely removeold paint and clean seal windows and vents so dust up lead debris, paint chips and dust, cannot get inside the house. or for information on lead poisoning, call the Illinois Department ofPublic • Wipe shoes on damp floor mat. Health'sChildhood Lead Poisoning Remove shoes before entering the Prevention Program at217-782-0403 house. or 800-545-2200orTTY 800-547-0466. • Do not walk around clean areas of the house in work clothes. • To remove paint chips and dust from around the outside of the house, hose offporches, sidewalks, driveways and the sides ofbuild- ings. Scrub with a stiffbrush or broom and soapy water; then rinse GET THE LEAD as clean as possible. Pick up and dispose of paint chips. our WHERE LEAD FOUND IS Differentsurfacesinahomeposevarying lead-paintrisks. Friction from opening and closingwindows and doors canturnhaz- ardous exteriorpaintinto lead dust,which canbe ingested bypeople inside. Ifthepaint is intact, large interior surfaces, like walls and ceilings, are farless likely topose a danger. Where Lead Is Found in the Home Veryfrequently Frequently Occasionally ALL CHILDREN AGES 6 MONTHS THROUGH 6 YEARS SHOULD BE ASSESSED EOR LEAD POISONING EVERY YEAR. For further information, contact the Illinois DepartmentofPublic Health's Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program. 800-545-2200 217-782-0403 TTY 800-547-0466 Illinois Department of PrintedbytheAuthorityoftheStateofIllinois P.O.#372417 22.5M 1/02 Public Health 535 W. Jefferson St. 0 Springfield, IL 62761 PrintedonRecycledPaper