Key points
- Lead can be found in many places in a child's environment.
- No safe blood lead level in children has been identified.
- Even low levels of lead in blood can be harmful.
- Parents, healthcare providers, and public health professionals can all take steps to prevent lead exposure.
Sources of lead
Lead can be found throughout a child’s environment. Homes built before 1978 (when lead-based paints were banned) probably contain lead-based paint. When the paint peels and cracks, it makes lead dust. Children can be exposed to lead when they swallow or breathe in lead dust.
Lead can also be found in:
- Certain water pipes
- Some products such as toys and jewelry
- Candies or traditional home remedies
Jobs and hobbies
Certain jobs and hobbies involve working with lead-based products, like stain glass work. This may cause parents to bring lead into the home.
Airports
Children who live near airports may be exposed to lead in air and soil from aviation gas used in piston engine aircrafts.
Explore these sources of lead in the environment
Lead poisoning prevention
Protecting children from exposure to lead is important to lifelong good health. No safe blood lead level in children has been identified. Even low levels of lead in blood have been shown to affect learning, ability to pay attention, and academic achievement. If caught early, there are things you can do to prevent further exposure and reduce damage to your child's health.
The most important step that parents and caregivers, healthcare providers, and public health professionals can take is to prevent lead exposure before it occurs.
CDC supports primary and secondary lead exposure prevention.
Primary prevention
Primary prevention is the removal of lead hazards from the environment before a child is lead exposed. It is the most effective way to ensure that children do not experience harmful long-term effects of lead exposure.
Secondary prevention
Secondary prevention includes blood lead testing and follow-up care and referral. It remains an essential safety net for children who may already be exposed to lead.
Testing for lead exposure
A blood test is the best way to determine if a child has been exposed to lead. The amount of lead in blood is referred to as a blood lead level, which is measured in micrograms of lead per deciliter of blood (μg/dL). Most children with lead in their blood have no obvious symptoms. Talk to your child's health care provider about getting a blood lead test.
Removing lead exposures
Preventing childhood lead exposure is cost-effective.
According to an analysis from the Health Impact Project, eliminating lead hazards from the places where children live, learn, and play could generate approximately $84 billion in long-term benefits per birth cohort.
Additionally, permanently removing lead hazards from the environment would benefit future birth cohorts, and savings would continue to grow over time. CDC is committed to helping address this threat and improving health outcomes for our nation's most vulnerable citizens—our children.