Take the Lead Safety Quiz

Lead can leach into drinking water from certain types of plumbing materials (lead pipes, copper pipes with lead solder, and brass faucets). It can also be found on walls, woodwork, toys, and dinnerware made outside the U.S., as well as the outside of your home in the form of lead-based paint.

Children—and adults—can breathe in dust from the paint. Lead dust can be deposited on floors, windowsills, and eating and playing surfaces, or in the dirt outside the home.

Many homes built before 1978 may contain lead paint. Most paint made after 1978 contains no intentionally added lead, since it was banned from use on the interior and exterior of homes. (About two-thirds of the homes built before 1940, and half of the homes built from 1940 to 1960 contain lead-based paint.)

If lead is in the soil, children can swallow harmful amounts of it if they play in the dirt or in dusty areas (even indoors) and then put their fingers, clothes, or toys in their mouths, or if they eat without first washing their hands. Not all soils contain lead.

The most serious effect of lead exposure in children is brain damage. Lead exposure in youngsters can also affect a child’s growth, damage kidneys and impair hearing, as well as cause learning and behavioral problems.

Other health problems include increased blood pressure, digestive problems, sleep problems, muscle and joint pain, and mood changes.

The CDC has set 10 mcg/dl as the minimum amount of lead for concern. The CDC recommends testing a child at his or her one-year checkup or earlier if the child is at high risk of exposure. A history of possible lead exposure should be assessed periodically between 6 months and 6 years of age, with blood testing as necessary.

The EPA has not approved and does not recommend do-it-yourself lead test kits. These kits, which do not require a lab to analyze the results, are not very accurate in determining the existence of lead paint. Instead, the EPA recommends hiring a lead inspector, who will use X-ray instruments to look for lead, or a risk assessor, who will take samples from the home and have them analyzed. For more information, or to locate lead-based paint inspectors, risk assessors and certified laboratories, visit the EPA website.

Infants, children, and pregnant women should not be in the home while renovations are under way. Exposure to lead dust is hazardous.

A child who gets enough of these minerals will absorb less lead. Foods rich in iron include eggs; lean red meat; and beans, peas, and other legumes. Dairy products such as milk, cheese, and yogurt are also recommended for their high calcium content.