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Lead toxicity comes from inhaling lead or consuming it. Before the 1980s, when the government banned lead from consumer use, it could be found in paint, plumbing, pipes, ceramics, and even gasoline. Lead paint is toxic for the same reason lead itself is toxic, which is why lead poisoning from paint presents the same as lead poisoning from water or food sources, with a slight increase in respiratory symptoms vs. digestive symptoms. Lead paint is most dangerous when it’s old and peeling, cracking, or otherwise disturbed. This increases the concentration in the air and, therefore, in breathable air. 

Unfortunately, lead dust does not look different from any other type of dust. You cannot detect it with the naked eye. To determine if you have lead dust in your home, you will need to hire a local company to take a sample from the paint and test it for you in a lab.

The best way to remove lead paint is by wet hand sanding and removing all dust and residue with a HEPA vacuum. Professionals may also strip and scrape lead-based paint with a paint scraper. In some cases, you may choose to have a pro encapsulate or enclose your lead-based paint surface by covering it with a sealant or a new material. You may also choose to replace the material altogether.

You can sell a house with lead paint, but there are several requirements. If you are aware that lead paint exists anywhere in the home, you must disclose that to potential buyers. Required home inspections will often uncover lead paint, especially for older houses where lead paint may still be a problem. If you have taken steps to encapsulate lead, you should provide buyers with full documentation of the project so it won’t cause any problems later on.