Lead poisoning is a result of exposure to lead in the environment. Although lead is no longer used in paints, gasoline, water pipes and other products, some lead-based products still exist and may pose a health hazard. In addition, much lead remains in the environment years after its initial use. Children are particularly susceptible to the effects of lead poisoning.

Lead is toxic to many of your tissues and enzymes. Children are more susceptible to lead poisoning because lead can accumulate in their nervous system as they grow and develop. Death by lead poisoning is uncommon, but dangerous levels of lead in children may cause serious health problems, including lower intelligence and poor school performance.

Lead pipes and deteriorated lead-based paint in older homes and high levels of lead-contaminated house dust are the most common sources of lead poisoning in U.S. children. By removing or avoiding lead sources or with early detection and treatment, you can prevent or limit the harmful effects of lead poisoning.

Lead poisoning may be hard to detect at first, because children who appear healthy can have high levels of lead in their bodies. The accumulation of lead usually is gradual, building up unnoticed until levels become dangerous and cause signs and symptoms.

Signs and symptoms in children
The signs and symptoms of lead poisoning in children are nonspecific and may include:

• Irritability
• Loss of appetite
• Weight loss
• Sluggishness
• Abdominal pain
• Vomiting
• Constipation
• Unusual paleness (pallor) from anemia
• Learning difficulties

Signs and symptoms in adults
Although children are primarily at risk, lead poisoning is also dangerous to adults. Signs and symptoms of lead poisoning in adults may include:

• Pain, numbness or tingling of the extremities
• Muscular weakness
• Headache
• Abdominal pain
• Memory loss
• Mood disorders
• Reduced sperm count, abnormal sperm

Causes

The cause of lead poisoning is lead found in numerous locations in the environment. Sources of lead contamination include:

• Soil. During the 1970s, both the regulatory efforts of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the introduction of the catalytic converter to the auto industry, requiring lead-free fuel, contributed to the reduction of lead in gasoline. This led to a large decline in the number of children with elevated levels of lead in their bloodstream. But lead particles that settle on the soil from gasoline or paint used years ago can remain there for many years. High concentrations of lead in soil can be found around major highways and old homes and in some urban settings.
• Water. In the 1980s, Congress changed the Safe Drinking Water Act to restrict the use of lead in pipes, solder and other components used in public water systems. Lead pipes, brass plumbing fixtures and copper pipes soldered with lead can release lead particles into tap water. If you have such plumbing, let cold water run 30 to 60 seconds before drinking it. Hot water absorbs more lead than cold water does. The EPA warns against making baby formula with hot tap water from old plumbing systems.
• Lead paint. In 1978, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) banned the sale of lead-based paints for use in residences, children’s toys and household furniture. However, lead-based paint is still on walls and woodwork in many older homes and apartments. Glazes found on ceramics, china and porcelain may contain lead, as well.
• Household dust. Household dust can contain lead from paint chips or soil brought in from outside.
• Some imported canned food. In 1995, the United States banned the use of lead solder for sealing food cans, but some foods still are imported from other countries where lead solder may be used.

The primary treatment for mild lead poisoning is to stop the exposure. Removal of the source of lead is critical to reducing blood lead levels.

If you can’t remove the source of lead from the environment, you may have alternatives to reduce the likelihood that lead will cause problems. For instance, sometimes it might be preferable to seal in, rather than remove, old lead paint. Your local health department can recommend resources to identify and reduce lead in your home or in your community.

You can take some simple measures to reduce or offer protection from lead poisoning. These may include:

Lead assessment
Have a professional check your home for lead hazards. Home lead tests are available, but the EPA doesn’t recommend them because they may not be reliable.

• Lead inspection. A lead inspection checks for lead presence in painted surfaces in your home, but it doesn’t determine whether the paint has dangerous levels of lead.
• Risk assessment. A risk assessment is more comprehensive and tells you if your home contains dangerous lead sources, such as peeling paint, and tells you how to reduce or control the hazards.

If you live in a rental property and your child has an elevated blood lead level, your landlord may be required to take certain actions, depending on your local laws and regulations.

If you live in public housing and your 1- to 6-year-old child has an elevated blood lead level, federal regulations require that the housing authority perform a risk assessment upon being notified by your doctor. If hazards are identified, lead-abatement measures must be taken.

Everyday tasks
If you live in or near an area that contains lead, you can help reduce the risk of lead hazards by practicing the following:

• Wash your children’s hands after they play outside, before eating and going to bed.
• Clean your floors with a wet mop and wipe furniture, windowsills and other dusty surfaces with a damp cloth.
• Restrict where your children play. Don’t let them play near major roadways or bridges.
• Prepare meals that are high in iron and calcium. A nutritious diet helps prevent lead absorption in your children’s bodies.
• Run cold water for at least a minute before using, especially if it hasn’t been used for a while. Don’t use hot tap water to make baby formula or for cooking.

Home renovation
If you’re doing minor remodeling or touch-up work in an older house with lead-based paint, take some precautions.

• Wear protective equipment and clothing. Change your clothes, take a shower and wash your hair before leaving the job. Don’t shake out work clothes or wash them with other clothes.
• Be careful where you eat. Don’t eat or drink in an area where lead dust may be present.
• Don’t attempt to remove the lead paint by sanding. Sanding surfaces painted with lead is hazardous because it generates large amounts of small particles that wind up on the floor, where small children might encounter them. If you must sand, some types of sandpapers are designed to hold together when wet. Sanding with wet sandpaper helps reduce dust.
• Don’t use an open-flame torch to remove paint. The flame produces lead particles small enough to inhale. Inhalation is an even more hazardous route of exposure than is oral ingestion.
• Don’t use the highest setting on a heat gun. People use heat to soften up paint to make it easier to remove. Some heat guns may get hot enough to make lead particles able to be inhaled. If you’re using a heat gun with settings on it, avoid the highest settings.
• Use caution in painting over old lead paint with new, lead-free enamel. Proper removal of intact lead paint may not be feasible. If the paint is on tight, without many chips, then it should stay that way and you can paint over it. You can also use paneling, drywall or encapsulation, which is similar to a very thick coat of paint.

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