Kelly's Healthy Home

October hosts the National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week, an important time to raise awareness about a hidden danger that can affect any household. As a Realtor and healthy home advocate in the Philadelphia region, I come across lead paint and pipes fairly often. So let’s dive into lead poisoning and what to look for.

If your home was built before 1978, there’s a chance it contains lead-based paint. This is because the federal government did not ban lead paint in homes until 1978, however some states did enforce the law before that year. So why do we want to avoid lead?

Lead affects the body in many ways. In children, exposure to lead can cause nervous system and kidney damage, learning disabilities, speech, language and behavior problems, hearing damage and even bone or muscle growth issues. Children are especially susceptible to lead exposure, but lead can be dangerous for adults too. In adults, exposure to lead can cause harm to developing fetus, increase change of high blood pressure, fertility problems, nerve disorders and concentration problems.

So there is good reason why we want avoid lead!

Yet, paint isn’t the only source. Lead can be found in dust, soil, plumbing and even toys. Plumbing is especially problematic as it may allow lead to leach into your drinking water.

Simple Steps to Keep Your Home Lead-Safe

First, you don’t need to panic, awareness and prevention go a long way. Here are a few proactive steps every homeowner can take:

Check: Regularly inspect your home for peeling paint, especially around windows, doors, and trim if it was built prior to 1978.
Test: If you live in an older home, consider testing for lead-based paint and water through certified professionals.
Protect: When renovating, always hire a Lead-Safe Certified contractor to minimize dust and exposure. Install a whole house water filter system that removes lead from your water.

Toys: While most modern toys made in the U.S. meet strict safety standards, imported or older toys can sometimes contain lead-based paint or metal parts with lead content. Vintage or hand-me-down toys—especially those produced before 2009 can be risky.

Manage: Regularly dust with soapy water. Clean toys often and dispose of broken toys.  A balanced diet with foods that provide calcium, iron, and vitamin C may help keep lead out of the body. 

If you have questions about evaluating your home or preparing an older property for sale safely, I’d be happy to help. Schedule a time or reach out to me directly kellysteyn2013@gmail.com.