Lead Poisoning

The US has made much progress in eliminating some significant sources of lead in recent years. The use of leaded gasoline was phased out during the early 1990s. Leaded plumbing solder and lead solder on food cans were both banned during the 1980s. Lead-based paint was banned in 1978. However, today there are still about 38 million homes that contain some lead paint—about 40% of all US housing. Leaded gasoline emissions that were deposited over the years in the soil near highways and busy roads continue to contaminate many yards. And thousands of old lead pipes that continue to serve as water service lines in many older US cities also continue to leach lead into drinking water.

The good news is that lead poisoning is preventable. Families need to be informed about the various sources of lead and need to be vigilant in preventing exposure. The National Safety Council is pleased to provide the following materials that we hope readers will use as resources to prevent lead poisoning.

Contacts

Articles

Alerts

Calcium Supplements

The Natural Resources Defense Council issued a press release stating that some dietary calcium supplements contain unacceptable levels of lead.

Hair Dye

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) found lead in certain hair dyes.

Lead in Candy

The Orange County (CA) Register has built a database of candies found to contain lead by the California Lead Poisoning Prevention Branch.

Miniblinds

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) found that imported vinyl miniblinds can be a lead-poisoning hazard for young children.

Necklaces

CPSC recalled approximately 5,000 metallic heart-shaped medallion necklaces that contain high levels of lead.

Playground Equipment

CPSC released the results of a report indicating that public playground equipment could have chipping and peeling lead paint, which is a potential lead-poisoning hazard primarily for children six years old and younger.

Toys

Many vinyl items and children's toys contain lead. These include imported crayons, imported vinyl miniblinds, playground equipment, and children's jewelry.

Lead in Dishes and Crystal

Certain brands of ceramicware and crystal glassware contain lead.

Lead-Based Paint Disclosure Rule

Fact Sheet

This March 1996 fact sheet, issued by EPA and HUD, summarizes the requirements of the Lead-Based Paint Disclosure Rule.

Questions and Answers

EPA and HUD produced a question-and-answer document that gives more detail about the disclosure rule.

Protect Your Family from Lead in Your Home

This is a direct link to EPA's Web site, which has English and Spanish versions of the pamphlet Protect Your Family from Lead in Your Home (pdf).

Sample Forms

Two forms are available—one for disclosure of information for a house that is sold and one for property that is leased or rented. These forms must be completed for housing covered under the disclosure rule.

Federal Register Notice

On March 6, 1996, HUD and EPA jointly issued a Federal Register notice that contains the text of the final Lead-Based Paint Disclosure Rule (.pdf, 169K).

Lead Dust Test Kit

Lead dust causes more lead poisonings than any other lead exposure. It is hard to see, because lead dust particles are of microscopic size. Millions of US homes built before 1978 contain lead dust. The dust test kits are easy to use and provide consumers with an inexpensive way to find out if they have a lead dust problem. Kits include instructions, tools to take two dust samples, and a postage-paid mailer to send samples to an EPA-certified lab for analysis.