For many years, it has been recognized that ingestion of paint and paint chips poses a serious health hazard to children. Many residential buildings, public housing units and private homes, especially those that were built before 1950, contain lead-based paints on interior and exterior walls, window sills and other accessible surfaces. Some primers have been found to contain up to 600,000 milligrams of lead per kilogram of primer. Lead dust generated when painted interior surfaces weather poses health risks to residents, particularly children. When exterior painted surfaces weather, lead can leach into nearby soils, which is also a health hazard.

Continue on through this section to learn more about environmental laws and regulations and the best management practices associated with lead-based paint in a residential building.