Lead is a toxic metal that can harm children and adults, even at low levels of exposure. Understanding where lead comes from, how poisoning occurs, and what steps you can take to prevent it is key to keeping your family safe. It is especially important to get your child tested for lead at ages 1 and 2 because young children are more vulnerable to the harmful effects of lead. Their developing brains and bodies absorb lead more easily, and they often engage in hand-to-mouth behaviors, increasing the risk of exposure. Early testing helps identify exposure sooner, allowing for prompt intervention to prevent further harm. Explore the sections of this page to learn about the primary sources of lead, how exposure happens, ways to prevent lead poisoning, and what to do if your child has an elevated blood-lead level.
Paint chips/dust: Millions of homes still contain surfaces covered with old lead-based paint. As the paint chips and deteriorates, it can turn into dust. In the United States, exposure to lead dust is the most common source of lead poisoning.
Soil: Soil can become contaminated with lead when lead-based paint flakes off the outside of a building and gets mixed with the soil. Lead exuded from car exhausts prior to the elimination of leaded gasoline is also a major contributor, as the contamination persists in soil even today.
Drinking water: Older plumbing and distribution lines that bring water to and throughout your home can contain lead, and that lead can leach out into the water that you drink. Luckily, you can have your water tested for the presence of lead. Click Here (for well water) or click here (for public water) to find out how to have your water tested for free through the NYS Department of Health.
Lead poisoning is caused by swallowing or breathing lead.
In adults, lead exposure most often occurs at work, especially for individuals working in construction or demolition, welding, manufacture, or some other trade where lead exposure might occur. Adults with elevated blood lead levels may experience cardiovascular issues including high blood pressure and hypertension, nervous disorders such as tremors, reduced kidney function, and even reproductive harm. Lead exposure can also harm the babies of expectant mothers.
Children, especially those under the age of 6, are much more susceptible to the risks of lead exposure. This increased risk is due to their rapidly-growing bodies and brains, and their tendency to place hands, toys, and other objects in their mouths. Lead can have severe effects on a child’s development and behavior, including diminished IQ, increased aggression, and attention-related behaviors such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). These effects are often permanent, which means exposure to lead at a young age can drastically alter the course of a person’s life.
At very high levels, lead poisoning can be life-threatening for both children and adults.
Key Resources
1.) Test your home for lead.
- If you live in a home built before 1978, have your home inspected by a certified lead inspector. GO Health also has certified individuals on staff.
- If you live an apartment, contact your landlord to inquire if any lead inspection has been performed or if there are any known lead hazards in your rental unit.
2.) Keep children away from lead hazards.
- Clean! Proper, routine cleaning of hands, toys, and household surfaces may be the most effective way to prevent lead exposure. Horizontal surfaces (floors, windows, doorways, furniture, etc.) can accumulate lead dust. Click here(PDF, 91KB) for a basic lead cleaning guide. Block your child’s access to windows, stairwells, or any other areas with visibly chipping or peeling paint.
- Remember – lead can sometimes come from things other than lead paint. Candy, toys, glazed pottery, and folk medicine made in other countries can contain lead. Be aware of recalled consumer products by monitoring the Consumer Product safety Commission and the Food and Drug Administration websites.
3.) Renovate safely. Home repairs like sanding or scraping paint can create dangerous lead dust.
- Keep children and pregnant women away from the work area.
- Make sure you and/or any workers are trained in lead-safe work practices.
- Contact GO Health for more information.
Key Resources
New York State Public Health Law mandates that the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments intervene with any child who has an EBL ≥ 5µg/dL (greater than or equal to).
GO Health Nursing and Environmental Staff will contact the child’s parents or guardians and coordinate a time to meet at the child’s home. The purpose of this visit is to check the home for any obvious signs of lead hazards that can be addressed right away, to ask questions regarding any other possible sources of the lead exposure, and to briefly assess the EBL child for developmental milestones. GO Health staff will schedule a full Lead Inspection and Risk Assessment, which we will use to provide you with a clear report on where the lead hazards exist in your home.