Lead-based paint (LBP): is a concern in most homes built before 1978. In the U.S., White Lead was used extensively as a pigment in paint until the rising cost of lead in the 1960s prompted the use of alternative pigments. The growing awareness of lead poisoning resulted in the eventual ban of lead-based paint in 1978 when the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) banned the sale and distribution of residential paint containing lead. Before the decline in use and eventual ban of lead-based paint, it was considered a high quality and durable paint. It is estimated that over 80% of the homes built before 1978 contain some lead-based paint. The primary concern with having lead-based paint in the home is lead poisoning from inhaling lead dust, ingesting lead dust from placing hands or other objects covered with lead dust in the mouth or even ingesting lead paint chips. Lead paint produces a white, chalky film of lead dust over time and, like all paints, will peel and chip when not maintained. Friction on painted surfaces such as doors and windows can also produce lead dust. Back

Particularly at risk are young children under the age of six years. Their innate and indiscriminate habits of putting objects in their mouths make them most susceptible to ingesting lead dust or paint chips. Their proportionally smaller body mass allows dangerously high concentrations of lead to develop more easily with minimal exposure. According to the Centers for Disease Control, an estimated 10 percent of U.S. preschoolers suffer from high enough levels of lead in their blood to poison their systems. Also at risk from exposure to lead-based paint are pregnant women. Please note that some states or local authorities require some action if a child is found to have lead poisoning or is at risk of lead poisoning. Consult your state agency to see if state or local laws apply to you.

Mold: Molds, or moulds, are various fungi that cover surfaces as fluffy mycelia and usually produce masses of asexual, or sometimes sexual, spores. The molds are not an actual taxonomic or phylogenetic grouping – they can be found in the divisions Zygomycota, Deuteromycota and Ascomycota. 2. A fungus that produces a superficial growth on various kinds of damp or decaying organic matter. 3. Molds are ubiquitous in nature, and mold spores are a common component of household dust. The term toxic mold is sometimes used to refer to mold-related indoor air quality problems.Exposure to significant quantities of mold spores can cause allergic reactions. Under proper growing conditions, some species of molds may generate molecular compounds called mycotoxins. In large quantities or with chronic exposure, mycotoxins can be toxic to humans or animals. Back

Radon: a chemical element in the periodic table that has the symbol Rn and atomic number 86. A radioactive noble gas that is formed by the disintegration of radium, radon is one of the heaviest gases and is considered to be a health hazard. The most stable isotope is Rn-222 which has a half-life of 3.8 days and is used in radiotherapy. Radon gas can accumulate in houses and cause lung cancer [1], causing potentially 20,000 deaths in the European Union each year. Back