Lead | US EPA

EPA Lead Safety and Regulatory Information

• Updated Dust-Lead Standards: The EPA is implementing new, stricter requirements for identifying and cleaning up lead-based paint hazards in childcare facilities and homes built before 1978.
• 2025 Agency Initiative: The EPA has reestablished a senior leadership committee to focus on reducing children’s lead exposure through cooperative federalism, improved risk communication, and private sector innovation.
• RRP Rule: Firms performing renovation, repair, and painting (RRP) projects that disturb lead-based paint in pre-1978 housing or child-occupied facilities must be trained and certified in lead-safe work practices.
• Disclosure Requirements: Sellers and landlords are legally required to disclose known information about lead-based paint for properties built before 1978.
• Primary Sources of Lead Exposure:
  • Paint: Lead-based paint in older buildings.
  • Water: Corrosion of lead pipes and plumbing materials.
  • Soil: Contamination from leaded gasoline, industrial sources, smelters, and building paint.
  • Air: Emissions primarily from metals industries.
• Public Resources: The EPA pamphlet, "Protect Your Family from Lead in Your Home," is available in 14 languages, including English, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, and others.
• Health Risks: Lead is a toxic metal that poses serious health risks when inhaled or swallowed, with particular danger to young children and pregnant women.