How To Protect Yourself and Your Family From Lead Exposure

Lead is a toxic metal that causes many adverse health effects. Companies use lead in gasoline, construction, mining, manufacturing, and consumer products. Due to runoff from industrial sites, you may also encounter lead in the soil and water.

Since the 1970s, government regulations, consumer lawsuits, and public awareness campaigns have drastically reduced the risk of lead poisoning. However, knowing where to find lead can help eliminate its danger to you and your family.

This article explains why lead exposure is so dangerous. It also describes short-term and long-term solutions to protect your family. From using lead-safe paint to removing all lead dust and chipping paint, this guide provides helpful tips to keep your family safe. You’ll also find information on lead contamination, including sources, health risks, regulations, and lawsuits.

You can also talk to a toxic torts attorney near you for personalized legal advice. An attorney can review your situation, determine if you have a claim, and recommend next steps.

Why Is Lead So Dangerous?

Lead exposure is dangerous to both children and adults. It is particularly toxic for pregnant women. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), nearly a million people die yearly from lead poisoning.

Adults are at risk of lead exposure in several ways. First, many products contain lead. Second, specific processes, such as recycling and mining, release lead toxins into the air. You can breathe in lead dust while sanding furniture or stripping your walls.

When adults encounter high levels of lead, they’re at risk of developing the following:

• High blood pressure
• Cardiovascular issues
• Kidney damage
• Brain damage
• Liver damage
• Bone marrow damage
• Joint pain

Check your lead levels if you notice any of these issues. Over time, lead poisoning worsens and causes long-term health issues and even death.

Sources of Lead Exposure

Many people don’t realize they may encounter lead in various places. They may assume the only danger of lead poisoning is from lead-based paint. However, as explained here, lead hazards exist in many products and materials.

The most common sources of lead are in the home.

There are different levels of lead in various products and materials. Lead contamination can happen in different ways, depending on the source. Specifically, you may come into contact with lead in the following ways:

• In your home
• At work
• In the air and environment
• Using consumer products that contain lead
• Bare soil and drinking water

 If you somehow ingest lead or inhale lead dust, you will be at risk of lead poisoning. Lead poisoning causes many health problems ranging from lung cancer to behavioral problems in children. Your doctor can give you a blood lead test to determine whether you or a family member has lead poisoning.

Lead at Home

The most prominent sources of lead are in the home. Most people today know using lead-based paint in newer homes is illegal. This was not the case before 1978. According to the Washington Department of Health, many old houses, especially those with porches, were loaded with lead.

Most people with homes built before then have tried to remove lead from their homes. The same is true for people who have done renovations on their older property.

Sources of lead exposure in your home can include the following:

• Peeling paint
• Faucets
• Lead paint
• Lead pipes
• Young children’s toys
• Lead-glazed ceramics and china
• Old paint
• Windowsills
• Household dust
• Stained glass
• Paint chips
• Candles

If you’re worried that specific products in your home may contain lead, contact the Consumer Product Safety Commission for more information. Be wary of products imported from India, Mexico, and other countries without stringent lead regulations.

Is There Lead in Your Drinking Water?

Some homeowners’ pipes contain lead. Some plumbers solder pipes together, and solder contains high lead levels. If you use well water, you’re also at risk. Given soil contamination, your water may have a high lead concentration.

If you discover that your drinking water is contaminated, follow the steps below:

• Find out how much lead is in your water
• Flush your piping system
• Consider a full-house water filtration system
• Replace your pipes
• Instead of using tap water, switch to filtered bottled water for drinking and for preparing food

You may think this is extreme. It can also be expensive. But it may be the only way to have clean, cold water free of lead.

Workplace and Hobby Exposure

You may expose yourself to lead without knowing it. There may be lead in your workplace, or you may handle products that contain lead. If this is the case, you must wear personal protective equipment.

You must also carefully remove any shoes or clothing with lead dust or particles. The last thing you want to do is bring lead home to your family.

Certain hobbies can also result in lead poisoning. For example, if you’re into refinishing furniture, you may inhale lead dust while sanding painted wood or metal. Smelting can also put you at risk. This is true if you use smelters to melt metals for jewelry making or work with lead solder in stained glass making.

If you like to go to the firing range, you may encounter lead there, too. Many bullets contain lead. Even though the lead levels in bullets may be low, there’s no reason to expose yourself to lead if you don’t have to.

Air, Water, and Industrial Pollution

Even if you keep your home safe from lead, that doesn’t mean you’re safe from environmental health hazards. According to the CDC, industrial processes can result in lead in drinking water and lead-contaminated soil.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), runoff from mines and factories can contaminate local water supplies and soil. The EPA’s Superfund, a program for cleaning up hazardous waste sites, lists lead contamination as a significant environmental concern.

You may encounter lead in other places. Because of lead’s use in leaded gasoline, mining, and manufacturing, environmental contamination can be a problem in some areas. Some aviation fuels and metal processing facilities can create significant lead pollution in the air.

Who Is at Risk of Lead Exposure?

Lead can pose different risks depending on the group it affects. Children are especially vulnerable to lead exposure. They are more curious than adults and don’t realize the harm that lead poses.

Below is a brief discussion of the risks lead poses to the different age groups. If you want to confirm whether you or your kids have encountered high levels of lead, talk to your physician. If your child ingests a large amount of lead, take them to the emergency room.

Children and Lead

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), kids with a lead level over 3.5 micrograms per decilitre are at risk of lead poisoning. These levels can cause brain development issues and damage to the nervous system.

Children under the age of seven are most vulnerable to lead poisoning. They also suffer the most from lead’s harmful health effects. It’s not uncommon to find lead products in your children’s hands. They can pick up just about anything and place it in their mouths.

Effects of lead on children can include the following:

• Anemia
• Stomach aches
• Muscle weakness
• Brain damage
• Physical, mental, and neurological problems

Lead poisoning may also cause lower cognitive abilities, lower IQ, reduced academic performance, hearing problems, and increased attention and behavioral disorders. If you fear your child has ingested or inhaled lead, visit the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention site for assistance.

Pregnant Women and Lead

Pregnant women must avoid lead at all costs. Studies have shown that lead poisoning and lead exposure can cause the following problems for pregnant women:

• Miscarriage
• Low birth weight
• Stillbirth
• Premature delivery

If you are pregnant and ingest or inhale lead, seek medical attention immediately.

Adults and Lead

Adults can also suffer severe effects from lead poisoning. Adults can suffer high blood pressure, muscle pain, and organ problems if exposed to lead. Another side effect of lead exposure is damage to the nervous system.

High lead blood levels pose a particular risk to pregnant women. Families trying to have kids or are already expecting children should be aware of potential lead sources around the home and in their lives.

Treatment for Lead Poisoning

Treatments for lead poisoning are limited. Preventative measures are often the best plan. Removing sources of contamination should resolve less severe cases of lead poisoning. Your doctor can perform testing to determine your blood lead levels and those of your children.

Some people still rely on home remedies to treat lead poisoning, but it’s best to go to the hospital or make an appointment with your doctor. If they discover lead in your system, you may need to undergo treatment for lead poisoning. One such treatment is chelation therapy.

Short-Term Steps To Reduce Your Exposure To Lead

You must take specific remedial steps when encountering lead in your home or business. It’s the only way to prevent blood lead levels from reaching dangerous heights.

Some of the steps you can take in the short term include:

• Clean up paint chips, chipping paint, and flaking paint
• Planting grass
• Have a contractor remove lead-based paint
• Go to your healthcare provider and get a lead blood test

Some think they can remove lead from their paint with a heat gun. While this is technically true, it’s dangerous. Your best bet is to hire a certified lead abatement contractor to remove any lead hazards in your house permanently. Even if your older home is in good condition, you have no idea if there’s lead in the paint.

How To Protect Yourself From Lead Exposure Long-Term

Once you’ve removed the immediate lead hazards, you must think long-term. That’s the best way to avoid the adverse health effects of lead. An essential step is to remove items containing lead from your home. This includes stained glass, leaded crystal glassware, older toys, certain cosmetics, and lead-based jewelry.

There are several other long-term solutions you must consider. Some of these prevention methods include:

• Get your children’s lead levels measured through a simple blood test kit. Consult your doctor or healthcare professional for advice.
• Contact a qualified professional to assess the lead content of the paint in your home and the risks of severe lead exposure. Hiring a professional ensures the work is safe, reliable, and effective. The EPA’s Lead-Based Paint Professional Locator can help you find a certified lead abatement professional near you.
• According to the EPA, the Consumer Product Safety Commission has worked to ban the use of lead in children’s toys and jewelry. They also provide families with information on other products that contain lead.

Take precautions to protect your family around the home by doing the following:

• Clean floors, window frames, window sills, and other surfaces weekly using a mop, sponge, or paper towel with warm water and a general all-purpose cleaner or a cleaner made specifically for lead. An important note: Never mix ammonia and bleach products, as they can form a dangerous gas.
• Thoroughly rinse sponges and mop heads after cleaning dirty and dusty areas.
• Wash children’s hands often, especially before meals and bedtimes.
• Keep play areas clean.
• Wash bottles, pacifiers, toys, and stuffed animals regularly.
• Keep young children from chewing window sills or other painted surfaces.
• Clean or remove shoes before entering your home to avoid tracking in lead from soil.
• Shower and change clothes before coming home if you work with lead on the job. Launder lead-infested work clothes separately from the rest of your family’s clothes.
• Ensure children eat nutritious, low-fat foods high in iron and calcium, such as spinach and dairy products. Children with good diets absorb less lead.
• Plant grass to cover bare soil.

If you believe there is lead in your home and aren’t sure what to do, contact your local health department. They can provide you with immediate assistance.

You may also have an urban development planning committee in your area that can help. These agencies can recommend a lead-safe certified contractor in your town. They can visit your home and do a thorough risk assessment. 

Lead Exposure Regulations and Lawsuits

Strong regulatory efforts have drastically reduced lead poisoning in recent decades. In the late 1970s, around 88% of U.S. children had significant lead blood levels. This rate declined to less than 1% by 2012. Today, federal and state governments tightly regulate the use of lead in water supplies and the atmosphere.

Lawsuits have also helped reduce the amount of lead in the environment. People suffering from lead poisoning have brought product liability lawsuits against paint manufacturers and construction companies.

These lawsuits help lead poisoning victims recover compensation after being exposed to lead. They have also raised awareness about the dangers of lead and prompted companies to remove dangerous products from the market.

Lead Exposure? Discuss Your Legal Options With an Attorney

If you or a loved one were injured and believe lead was the culprit, you may want to file a legal claim. Talk to an attorney to share your story and learn your legal options. An attorney can determine whether you have a valid claim. If so, they will help you navigate the legal process and fight for fair compensation for your injuries.

FindLaw’s directory of products liability attorneys can get you started. Select your state or city to review contact and ratings information for local experts. Your search results will also link you to additional details about the attorneys’ experience with toxic exposure cases.