Lead Poisoning: Prevention

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Prevention

Lead poisoning may be prevented or limited by removing the source of lead in your home or workplace and by eating a healthful, balanced diet.

The most common sources of lead are lead-based paint and lead in dust or soil. Peeling or chipped paint is easily crushed into dust in the home or into the soil around the house. Older, industrial buildings may have been painted with lead-based paint. When these buildings are remodeled, dust containing dangerous levels of lead can contaminate the air and soil. Houses built before 1978 probably have some amount of lead-based paint, and homes built prior to 1950 often have the highest level of lead-based paint.

Lead paint can be found on some toys, too. In 2007, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) found high lead content in many children’s toys and jewelry made in other countries. For a complete list of recalled products, see the CPSC Web site at www.cpsc.gov.

Levels of lead in the blood can be reduced through regular housecleaning by crews trained to reduce leaded dust on surfaces. Cleaning includes wet-mopping floors, damp sponging of walls and counters, and vacuuming with a high-efficiency vacuum.

You can ask your local or state health department to test your home for lead paint or to give you the names of companies that can do such tests. Home test kits may not be accurate.

Other sources of lead include:

• Renovation, remodeling, or repainting of older homes.
• Jobs or hobbies that involve exposure to lead.
• Certain traditional or natural medicines or cosmetics (such as surma, also called kohl, used in some mascara).
• Leaded crystal or lead-glazed pottery.
• Food, such as vegetables grown in lead-contaminated soil or food from lead-soldered cans. Some cans not manufactured in the United States may have lead soldering.
• Water from faucets in homes with lead or lead-soldered copper pipes.
• Polluted air, particularly near lead smelters or other industries that use lead.
• Some "natural" remedies or supplements, such as some herbs or vitamins from India.⁴
• Some printing materials, such as ink used in print on plastic bags.
• Some vinyl plastic items, such as mini-blinds manufactured outside the U.S. before 1996.

Certain measures can prevent or reduce exposure to lead. If you have lead in your house paint, soil, or drinking water, you may want to consider the following:

• Tips if your home is contaminated, such as wiping toys, windowsills, door frames, and uncarpeted floors with a wet cloth or damp mop twice a week with warm, soapy water.
• Tips if your drinking water is contaminated, including letting cold water run for a few minutes in the morning before using it for drinking or cooking.
• Tips for nutrition and food preparation, including making sure children get enough iron in their diet.
• Tips if you have a job or hobby that involves working with lead, such as showering and changing clothes and shoes at work before getting in your car or before you come home, to prevent bringing home lead dust on your clothes and hair.

Balanced nutrition may prevent or reduce lead poisoning. Vitamin C, iron, zinc, calcium, and phosphorus make it less likely for the body to absorb lead.⁴ So getting enough of these nutrients day-to-day may help. Frequent meals or snacks help prevent lead poisoning, because lead is not as easily absorbed on a full stomach. Also, people who eat high-fat diets absorb more lead, as do people with iron deficiency.

Last updated:	June 26, 2008
Author:	Debby Golonka, MPH
Reviewed By:	Michael J. Sexton, MD - Pediatrics, R. Steven Tharratt, MD, MPVM, FACP, FCCP - Pulmonology, Critical Care, Medical Toxicology
Editors:	Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA, Pat Truman, MATC