Mayo Clinic Health Manager

Get free personalized health guidance for you and your family.

Get Started

Free

E-Newsletter

Subscribe to receive the latest updates on health topics. About our newsletters

  • Housecall
  • Alzheimer's caregiving
  • Living with cancer

Causes

By Mayo Clinic staff

Lead is a metal that occurs naturally in the earth's crust, but human activity — mining, burning fossil fuels and manufacturing — has caused it to become more widespread. Lead was also once a key ingredient in paint and gasoline and is still used in batteries, solder, pipes, pottery, roofing materials and some cosmetics.

Sources of lead contamination include:

  • Soil. Lead particles that settle on the soil from gasoline or paint can last for years. Lead-contaminated soil is still a major problem around highways and in some urban settings.
  • Water. Lead pipes, brass plumbing fixtures and copper pipes soldered with lead can release lead particles into tap water.
  • Lead paint. The use of lead-based paints for homes, children's toys and household furniture has been banned in the United States since 1978. But lead-based paint is still on walls and woodwork in many older homes and apartments. Most lead poisoning in children results from eating lead-based paint chips. Glazes found on ceramics, china and porcelain also can contain lead that leaches into food. Lead may be found in toys and other products produced abroad.
  • Household dust. Household dust can contain lead from paint chips or soil brought in from outside.
  • Some imported canned food. Although lead solder in food cans is banned in the United States, it's still used in some countries.
  • Traditional remedies and cosmetics. Some cases of lead poisoning have been traced to the use of certain traditional medicines from India and other South Asian countries. Litargirio, a peach-colored powder popularly used in the Dominican Republic, contains very high levels of lead and should not be used. Kohl is a traditional cosmetic, often used as eyeliner. Testing of various samples of kohl has revealed high levels of lead.
References
  1. CDC's Third National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals: Spotlight on Lead. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. www.cdc.gov/exposurereport/pdf/factsheet_lead.pdf. Accessed Jan. 17, 2009.
  2. ToxFAQs for lead. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/tfacts13.html#bookmark05. Accessed Jan. 17, 2008.
  3. Goldman RH, et al. Adult lead poisoning. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Jan. 19, 2008.
  4. HUD sets new requirements to prevent childhood lead poisoning in housing assisted or being sold by the federal government. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. http://nhl.gov/offices/lead/library/enforcement/1012fs.pdf. Accessed Jan. 23, 2009.
  5. General lead information: Questions and answers. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/faq/about.htm. Accessed Jan. 23, 2009.
  6. Protect your family from lead in your home. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/426.pdf. Accessed Jan. 23, 2009.

FL00068

April 8, 2009

© 1998-2009 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER). All rights reserved. A single copy of these materials may be reprinted for noncommercial personal use only. "Mayo," "Mayo Clinic," "MayoClinic.com," "EmbodyHealth," "Reliable tools for healthier lives," "Enhance your life," and the triple-shield Mayo Clinic logo are trademarks of Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research.

Print Share Reprints

Text Size: smaller largerlarger