lead paint

Good question. I have wondered the same. I use a 3m full face mask with particulate and organic filters. I'm waiting for more answers.

Get a good mask.
It's not just the lead in the paint that should concern you.
If you have every been to a chemical plant that makes ingrediants for paint you would..................................

GT in Indiana wrote: There are two ways for lead dust to enter the body.  It is either ingested or the most likely route is inhaled.  A good particulate dust mask (3M) will remove 99.9% of airborne material, assuming you have put it on properly and have a good seal.  Facial hair around the sealing surfaces of the face will reduce the efficiency of the mask considerably because the air will leak through the gaps instead of pulling the air through the filter.   If your paint removal process is heating the paint and creating fumes, then you should be wearing a respirator.  One thing most people do not consider however is their hands.  If you do not wear gloves, and stop to smoke or eat without washing your hands, you may be eating lead dust along with your lunch.     Common sense is still the key.  When cleaning up the shop, try not to make a big dust cloud with your air compressor, vacuum up the worst of it instead...   Like Mom said, clean your room and wash your hands before you eat!  That advice still goes a long way.   Be careful and God Bless,   Gerald

For the homeowner or hobby person you need to take precautions with clothing, breathing protection and cleanup of area, but for anyone who is permitted for business the rules are way more stringent.

I am 73 and my Mother is 94. She can see and hear as good or better than me. Most of her life and mine all paint contained lead. Inside of the houses, outside of the houses we lived in. All cars, trucks, tractors, machinery and the toys we chewed on when we were growing up. If lead paint was as bad as some would want you to believe  none of you all would be here because your grand parents would have died before your parents were born. Government people control and funds to pay big wages to people so they can dream up the next scare is what it is about. The next scare means more money.  A few people are in danger of getting ill from lead. As many or more die every year from peanut poison. If you can use the the few that get lead poisoning to remove lead from our lives then why not peanuts. We should stop the raising of peanuts or everyone should wear a peanut mask or be fined. I painted cars after my regular job for extra money when I was in my 20's. I have been painting off and on ever since and never owned a respirator then or now.   I am not saying for people to not wear a respirator because you just might be the one that could be subject to fume poison of some kind.  I just don't drink the coolaid that is passed out.