<P> Lead - based paint was widely used in the United States, because of its durability . The United States banned the manufacture of lead - based house paint in 1978 due to health concerns . </P> <P> Lead has long been considered to be a harmful environmental pollutant . Cited cases of lead poisoning date back to the early 20th century . In the July 1904 edition of its monthly publication, paint manufacturer Sherwin - Williams reported the dangers of paint containing lead, noting that a French expert had deemed lead paint "poisonous in a large degree, both for the workmen and for the inhabitants of a house painted with lead colors ." </P> <P> Congress banned the use of lead - based paint in 1971, and the Consumer Product Safety Commission followed with implementing regulations, effective in 1978 . Additional regulations regarding lead abatement, testing and related issues have been issued by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). </P> <P> Much of the government's response to the lead public health problems in the 1970s can be credited to the work of epidemiologist and pediatrician Philip J. Landrigan, who conducted detailed studies of lead poisoning near lead refineries, as well as the effects of lead in gasoline . </P>

When did they start taking lead out of paint