Show All Answers

1. What is lead?

Lead is a metal found in the earth and it is a poison. For years lead was used in paint, gasoline, plumbing and many other items. Lead paint was banned from home use in 1978. If you live in a home built before 1978, there could be lead paint and dust in your home.

2. Where can lead be found?

Homes Built Before 1978
     Many homes built before 1978 contain lead-based paint. Lead paint is dangerous when it:

• Gets old and begins to chip, flake or wear;
• Creates a lead-dust hazard;
• Contaminates exposed soil.

Work or Hobbies
     Lead can also be brought home by family members who work with lead or have hobbies where lead is used in:

• Home renovations or working with stained glass, ceramics, jewelry, auto repair, battery manufacturing, or firearms (bullets, projectiles, firing ranges).

Everyday Products
Many products, especially items that are imported from other countries, may contain lead. Some examples are:

• Traditional Ceramics
• Traditional Makeup (Kohl, Surma)
• Jewelry (Especially children's jewelry)
• Folk Remedies (Azarcon, Sindoor and Greta)
• Toys, such as those imported from other countries, purchased at antique or dollar shops, collectables passed down through generations.

3. How does a child become poisoned?

A child can get lead poisoning by swallowing or breathing in lead. Oftentimes, children are poisoned by lead dust. 

Since many young children spend a lot of time on the floor where lead dust collects, they can end up poisoning themselves when they put their hands and toys with lead dust on them in their mouths. Lead can also pass from a mother to her baby during pregnancy. 

Children 6 and younger are the most at-risk of lead poisoning. Their bodies and brains are more sensitive because they are still growing. The good news is that lead poisoning can be prevented. 

4. Why is lead a problem?

If a child becomes poisoned by lead it can cause problems with a child's growth, behavior and ability to learn.

Lead dust as small a grain of sand can be enough to poison a child. This can cause:

• Brain and nervous system damage
• Learning and behavior problems
• Slowed growth and development 
• Hearing and speech problems

This can:

• Lower a child's IQ
• Make it hard to learn and pay attention
• Lead to underperformance at school

5. Is your family at risk of lead poisoning?

If you answer yes to any of these questions, you should have your child tested for lead.

• Does your child live in or regularly visit a building built before 1978 with potential lead exposures, such as peeling or chipping paint, recent or ongoing renovation or remodeling?
• Has your child spent any time outside the  United States in the past year?
• Does your child live or play with a child who has an elevated blood lead level?
• Does your child have developmental disabilities, put nonfood items in their mouth, or peel or disturb painted surfaces?
• Does your child have frequent contact with an adult who may bring home traces of lead from a job or hobby such as: house painting, plumbing, renovations, construction, auto repair, welding, electronics repair, battery recycling, lead smelting, jewelry, stained glass or pottery making, fishing (weights, "sinkers"), firearms, or collecting lead or pewter figurines?
• Does your family use traditional medicines, health remedies, cosmetics, powders, spices, or food from other countries?
• Does your family cook, store, or serve food in crystal, pewter, or pottery from other countries?
• Did your child miss a lead test? New York State requires all children be tested for lead at age 1 and again at age 2.

6. How can I prevent lead poisoning?

Here are some ways to lower your child's risk of lead poisoning:

• Always wash your child's hands before eating, sleeping and after playing;
• Keep hands, toys, and pacifiers clean and free of dirt and dust;
• Keep your home clean and free of excess dust and chipping or aging paint;
• Wipe down floors, window sills, and places where children are;
• Always use a HEPA vacuum. HEPA vacuums trap lead particles and prevent them from being released into the air. 

And be sure to give your child healthy foods! Lead absorption decreases when there is enough iron and calcium in a child's diet. To help protect their body from lead and make them stronger, serve them foods high in Calcium, Iron, and Vitamin C.

7. Are pregnant and lactating women at risk for lead poisoning?

Lead can pass from a mother to her unborn baby. Maternal lead exposure during pregnancy can cause fatal lead exposure, which may impact fetus growth and neurodevelopment.

Prenatal healthcare providers are expected to provide each pregnant woman anticipatory guidance on lead poisoning prevention during pregnancy, and to assess each pregnant woman at the initial prenatal visit for high dose lead exposure using a risk assessment tool. 

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommends only women who are at risk get tested. If you answer "yes" to any of the questions below, you may be at risk for lead exposure and should talk with your doctor about having a blood test.

• Do you live in or regularly visit an old house (built before 1978) the has peeling, chipping, dusting, or chalking paint?
• Do you live in or regularly visit an old house (built before 1978) with on going renovations that generate dust (e.g. sanding, scraping)?
• Sometimes pregnant woman have the urge to eat things which are not food, such as clay, soil, plaster, or paint chips. Do you ever eat or chew non-food items?
• Do you have children in the house with elevated blood lead levels?
• Are there any lead pipes in your home?
• Do you use non-commercially prepared pottery or leaded crystal?
• Do you use any traditional folk remedies or cosmetics that are not sold in a regular drug store; are homemade or imported?
• Do you or others in the household have an occupation or hobby involving lead exposure?
• Have you recently moved to the United States from another country?
• Do you live near a point source of lead, such as mines, smelters, or battery recycling plants (even if closed)?