Lead-based paint hazards apply to buildings built before which year?

Lead-based paint hazards apply to buildings built before which year?

• A. 1990
• B. 1985
• C. 1978
• D. 1965

Answer: (D)

Lead-based paint hazards are tied to older homes because lead was commonly used in residential paint until a federal ban in 1978. The key date is 1978: after that year, new residential paints were required to be lead-free, so the burden of lead paint hazards is primarily on buildings constructed before 1978. Peeling or chipping paint and lead-contaminated dust or soil from these older surfaces create the risk. So, the cutoff year to remember is 1978—buildings built before 1978 may contain lead paint and related hazards. The other years listed are after the ban (less likely to have lead paint from the original coating), except that very old buildings could still have lead paint if renovations used it, but the standard reference point is the 1978 cutoff.

Lead-based paint hazards are tied to older homes because lead was commonly used in residential paint until a federal ban in 1978. The key date is 1978: after that year, new residential paints were required to be lead-free, so the burden of lead paint hazards is primarily on buildings constructed before 1978. Peeling or chipping paint and lead-contaminated dust or soil from these older surfaces create the risk.

So, the cutoff year to remember is 1978—buildings built before 1978 may contain lead paint and related hazards. The other years listed are after the ban (less likely to have lead paint from the original coating), except that very old buildings could still have lead paint if renovations used it, but the standard reference point is the 1978 cutoff.