The City of Columbia is committed to providing public health services that prevent epidemics and the spread of disease, protect against environmental hazards, promote healthy behaviors, prevent injuries and illness, assure the quality and accessibility of health services, monitor the health of the population, provide social services and promote and protect civil rights.

Lead in Your Home

Why You Should Be Concerned

Many houses and apartments built before 1978 have paint that contains lead (called lead-based paint). Lead from paint, paint chips and dust can pose serious health hazards if not taken care of properly.
Lead exposure can be dangerous, especially to children ages 6 and younger.
Exposure to lead-contaminated dust is the most common way to get lead poisoning within the Columbia/Boone County area.
Lead poisoning can be prevented!

Reducing the Risk of Lead in Your Home

Some simple steps—like keeping your home clean, especially in areas where lead paint may be present, and feeding your family a well-balanced diet—will go a long way in preventing lead poisoning.
Going one step further and getting your home tested for lead can also help you and your family. One kind of test—known as a risk assessment—will tell you where lead hazards are and what to do about them.
Lead-based paint is usually not harmful if it—

is not chipping or flaking AND
is not bumped, rubbed or chewed.

Lead-based paint can create harmful lead dust if it is chipping, flaking, bumped, rubbed or chewed.

Protecting Your Children From Lead Poisoning

A child does not have to eat paint chips to get lead poisoning. It is more common for a child to get lead poisoning by swallowing lead dust.
Children who eat healthy foods are less likely to get lead poisoning.
Your family, especially your children ages 6 and under, should be tested for lead. It is the only way to detect lead poisoning.

What Your Children Need to Know

Do not be afraid to visit your doctor.
Do not put things other than food in your mouth.
Play in grassy areas. Do not play in dirt!
Wash your hands often.
Make sure your parents wash your toys.
Eat healthy foods—avoid eating too many fried or fatty foods.

What You Need to Know Before Remodeling or Renovating Your Home

Lead-based paint is most often found around windows, in kitchens and in bathrooms.
Home projects done on lead-painted areas can create harmful lead dust.
If you think your home has lead-based paint, hire a professional to test for lead before beginning work.
If your home has lead-based paint, it is best to hire a trained contractor who knows how to work safely with lead to perform renovations.

Abatement

Abatement will permanently control or get rid of lead hazards in your home.
Never perform an abatement yourself. Abatement must be done by a trained and licensed professional.
If an abatement is done incorrectly, the chances of lead poisoning can increase.

Other Sources of Lead

While paint, dust and soil are the most common lead hazards other lead sources also exist:

Drinking water-your home might have plumbing with lead or lead solder.
Your job-if you work with lead, you could bring it home on your hands or clothes.
Old painted toys and furniture.
Food and liquids stored in lead crystal or lead-glazed pottery or porcelain.
Lead smelters or other industries that release lead into the air.
Hobbies that use lead, such as making pottery, stained glass, or jewelry, or refinishing furniture.
Folk remedies that contain lead, such as “greta” and “azarcon” used to treat an upset stomach.

For more information on lead hazards, lead poisoning prevention, blood-lead testing or certified lead contractors, please contact the Columbia/Boone County Health Department.

Return to the Clinic & Nursing Webpage or the Columbia/Boone County Health Department Homepage.