Lead In Paint: How widespread is it in American Homes?

In 2001 the federal government estimated there were about 60 Million homes with lead in them, they also estimated that it would be too hard for them to enact a program to abate all the lead.

Check out the following statement

https://www.federalregister.gov/d/01-84/p-22

Since then the estimate has dropped to about 36 million homes, or about 1 in 4 homes has lead based paint. However the number of homes with lead containing paint is likely much higher.

In 1977 there was a limit set for the amount of lead in paint that was allowed, to be sold by the CSPC or Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Since only the CSPC regulates Lead Containing Paint and not the EPA it flies under the radar.

Although both scientists and health professionals knew about the dangers of lead and lead based paints for centuries it took this long for regulation to catch up- so how has regulation defined lead based and lead containing paints?

Lead Based Paint is a paint that contains more than .05% or 5000 parts per million lead, lead containing paint is any paint that contains less than that 5000 ppm amount but above 90, which is the limit. Both Lead Based and Lead Containing Paints are illegal to sell today in the United States.

If you are curious weather your home contains LBP or LCP the first and lowest effort/ cost step is to look up your homes age, you can also review the Lead Paint Disclosure form you received when you purchased the house if it was built before 1978, however there is no guarantee that the seller would disclose any information about lead in their home.

But the upside is if your home is built after 1978 you can rest assured that the likelihood lead based paint is inside is remote, although a DIY renovator could have had Lead Paint sitting around and touched up the interior after the fact- the stuff doesn't last for ever so the possibility is indeed remote.