Lead is a naturally occurring formed element found in small amounts in the earth’s crust and surface. While it has some beneficial uses, it can be toxic to humans, especially small children and animals.
Almost everywhere: in the air, soil, water, and even our homes. Lead is all over our environment because of human activities. Much of our exposure comes from the past use of leaded gasoline and paint inside residential, commercial, and industrial buildings. We have used lead in many ways, including: paint, wall boards, plasters, ceramics, pipes, plumbing material, solders, gasoline, batteries, ammunition, and cosmetics.
Federal and state regulations have been set and have helped reduce the lead content found in our environment.
When lead is released to the air from industrial sources or vehicles, it may travel long distances before settling to the ground, where it usually sticks to soil particles. Lead may move from soil into ground water depending on the type of lead compound and the characteristics of the soil.
Once the dangers of lead were understood, regulations at the Federal and State level have reduced or eliminated the amount of lead in water, soil, consumer products, food, and occupational settings.
Lead is particularly dangerous to children because their growing bodies absorb more lead than adults do and their brains and nervous systems are more sensitive to the damaging effects of lead. Even small amounts of lead can cause serious health problems. Lead poisoning can severely affect mental and physical development. At very high levels, lead poisoning can cause seizures, coma or death. Babies and young children can also be more highly exposed to lead because they often put their hands and other objects that can have lead from dust or soil on them into their mouths. Children may also be exposed to lead by eating and drinking food or water containing lead or from dishes or glasses that contain lead, inhaling lead dust from lead-based paint or lead-contaminated soil or from playing with toys with lead paint. Some health effects caused by lead exposure, even small amounts, in children are:
Adults may be exposed to lead by eating and drinking food or water containing lead or from dishes or glasses that contain lead. They may also breath lead dust by spending time in areas where lead-based paint is deteriorating, and during remodeling, repair work or demolition that disturbs painted surfaces in older buildings, such as homes, commercial or industrial facilities.
Lead can accumulate in our bodies over time, where it is stored in bones along with calcium. During pregnancy, calcium containing lead is released from maternal bones and crosses the placenta to help form the bones of the fetus. Lead in a pregnant woman’s body can result in serious effects on the pregnancy and her developing fetus, including:
