Lead Poisoning Causes
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Causes of Lead Poisoning
Lead can be absorbed into the bloodstream by eating, drinking, or breathing contaminated particles.
Used in many industrial processes and within the home, lead can be found in:
- Paint
- Dust
- Soil
- Drinking water
- Food (rarely)
Most homes built before 1960 contain some lead-based paint, which was banned from residential use in 1978. Dust containing lead can linger on windowsills and in window wells. Drinking water that travels through lead pipes, or through pipes with lead-based soldering, may also be contaminated. Lead can become mixed with dirt after it peels from paint on building exteriors; industrial sources and car exhaust also contribute to the problem. (Lead levels in the air have dropped substantially since lead additives were banned from gasoline in the 1970s.) Food produced outside of the US can become contaminated if packaged in lead-soldered cans.
