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Identifying Lead-Based Paint and Lead-Based Paint <br />Hazards <br />Deteriorating lead-based paint (peeling, chipping, chalking, <br />cracking, or damaged paint) is a hazard and needs immediate <br />attention. Lead-based paint may also be a hazard when found on <br />surfaces that children can chew or that get a lot of wear and tear, such <br />as: <br />• On windows and window sills <br />• Doors and door frames <br />• Stairs, railings, banisters, and porches <br />Lead-based paint is usually not a hazard if it is in good condition <br />and if it is not on an impact or friction surface like a window. <br />Lead dust can form when lead-based paint is scraped, sanded, or <br />heated. Lead dust also forms when painted surfaces containing <br />lead bump or rub together. Lead paint chips and dust can get on <br />surfaces and objects that people touch. Settled lead dust can reenter <br />the air when the home is vacuumed or swept, or when people walk <br />through it. EPA currently defines the following levels of lead in dust as <br />hazardous: <br />• 40 micrograms per square foot (μg/ft2) and higher for floors, <br />including carpeted floors <br />• 250 μg/ft2 and higher for interior window sills <br />Lead in soil can be a hazard when children play in bare soil or when <br />people bring soil into the house on their shoes. EPA currently defines <br />the following levels of lead in soil as hazardous: <br />• 400 parts per million (ppm) and higher in play areas of bare soil <br />• 1,200 ppm (average) and higher in bare soil in the remainder of the <br />yard <br />Remember, lead from paint chips—which you can see—and lead <br />dust—which you may not be able to see—both can be hazards. <br />The only way to find out if paint, dust, or soil lead hazards exist is to <br />test for them. The next page describes how to do this.6