Lead is a common, but poisonous metal. Before its toxic properties were recognized, lead was used in many types of building and industrial materials and products such as paint, ceramics, pipes, solders, batteries, and gasoline. It was even used in some types of cosmetics, such as kohl eyeliner. Even though lead is no longer used, the effects from products containing lead from earlier in the 20th century are still being felt today. Leaded gasoline was phased out in the United States during the 1990s; however, soil near highways and busy roads may still be contaminated from car and truck emissions deposited more than ten years ago.
Lead-based paint was commonly used on both the interiors and exteriors of homes. In the 1950s, the paint industry greatly reduced the amount of lead used in house paint. Since 1978, the use of lead in paints has been completely banned. Still, most homes built before 1978 probably contain lead-based paint. Lead paint does not pose a health hazard when it is intact. Problems arise as paint starts to deteriorate over time. Lead paint chips and lead-contaminated dust are dangerous. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Health Homes program < http://www.hud.gov/offices/lead/ > lists tools and resources to help deal with lead paint hazards. Homeowners and contractors will find helpful resources on the National Association of the Remodeling Industry's Lead Safe U.S.A. Web site < http://www.leadsafeusa.com > .
A more recent concern is the reports that lead has been detected in toys imported from other countries, in particular China. The U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) < http://www.cpsc.gov/ > lists toys and other products that have been recalled due to lead paint and other hazards. The list is updated frequently, but it is easy to keep up to date through other ways as well. The CPSC offers updates as e-mail announcements, RSS feeds, and weekly podcasts.
The toxic properties in lead are dangerous to everyone. Children, however, are at the greatest risk. Exposure to the smallest quantities of lead has been associated with behavior problems, growth problems, lower IQ, kidney damage, and hearing loss in children. KidsHealth from the Nemours Foundation < http://kidshealth.org > contains valuable information for parents pertaining to children and lead, including choosing safe baby products, making holidays safe, lead's effects on unborn babies, and getting children tested for lead. The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEH) Kids' Pages < http://kids.nieh.nih.gov/lead.htm > is designed to teach children about the risks, causes, symptoms, and solutions for lead poisoning. State and local health departments are great resources for information on lead poisoning, testing, and removal.