When people think of lead, they usually think of old paint. Paint is the largest source for many children, but it is rarely the only one.
1. Window sills and floors. In homes built before 1978, friction from opening windows can grind old paint into fine dust that settles on sills and floors, right where toddlers crawl and play.
2. The first water of the morning. Water that sits overnight in pipes with lead solder, a lead service line or older brass fixtures can pick up lead. It looks, smells and tastes exactly the same.
3. Soil by the door. Soil near older buildings and busy roads can hold lead from exterior paint and from decades of leaded gasoline. It gets tracked indoors on shoes.
4. Work clothes. Adults who work in construction, renovation, battery recycling or at firing ranges can carry lead dust home on clothing, shoes and skin.
5. Imported products. Some imported spices, cosmetics, ceramics, toys and traditional remedies have been found to contain lead. Health departments publish warnings when specific products are identified.
Reducing exposure means looking at all of these together. A child’s blood test shows the total, and testing the water shows whether the tap is part of it.
