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LEAD SAFETY FAQs
What are the dangers of lead poisoning?
Severe childhood lead poisoning is uncommon in Indiana, but thousands of Hoosier children are poisoned by lower levels of lead that permanently damage the brain. This damage includes lowered IQ levels, a greater chance of learning disabilities and attention deficit disorders, and a tendency towards violent behavior. Indiana requires intervention by the local health department to protect children six years or younger when a child has more than 10 micrograms of lead in a deciliter of blood.
How can I tell if a person is lead poisoned?
Only a blood test performed by a health professional will tell you. Since lead leaves the blood over time, you cannot easily tell whether a person was lead poisoned in the past.
Why focus on children six or younger?
Because their bodies are still growing, children are at the highest risk. The body has difficulty telling the difference between lead and calcium. Lead in blood can get into the developing brain and permanently damage it. Pregnant woman can pass lead to a fetus. Adults and children over six can also be lead poisoned but it takes higher levels. Children under seven are the most vulnerable group.
How many children are lead poisoned in Indiana?
Because testing is not required for all children, no one knows. National averages suggest that 1 in 100 children are lead poisoned. The state recommends that all children living or playing in property built before 1978 be tested. Race and income-levels are also factors. All children eligible for Medicaid must be tested.
How do they get lead poisoned?
Lead paint dust, lead paint chips, and lead in soil are the primary sources of lead poisoning. Children playing on the floor get lead dust or contaminated soil on their toys, blankets, clothes and on their hands that they ingest. The lead dust may be invisible, and a tiny amount of lead dust can poison a child.
Where does the lead come from?
Lead primarily comes from deteriorated lead-based paint, inside or outside the home. Leadbased paint on the exterior of the home may have contaminated the soil over the years. Inside, windows and doors are the most likely places to find lead-based paint because the paint was durable. Dust can be found everywhere. The only way to know for sure is to have it checked by a risk assessor or inspector licensed by the Indiana State Department of Health.
Why 1978 and 1960?
The use of lead-based paint on residential property was prohibited after January 1, 1978. Indiana law presumes paint in a home or child-occupied facility built before 1960 is lead-based paint.
(Material taken from "Lead Poisoning Prevention in Indiana" brochure published by Improving Kids’ Environment (IKE). IKE is a not-for-profit corporation based in Indianapolis, Indiana, that works to reduce environmental threats to children's health. Learn more at: www.ikecoalition.org.)
Severe childhood lead poisoning is uncommon in Indiana, but thousands of Hoosier children are poisoned by lower levels of lead that permanently damage the brain. This damage includes lowered IQ levels, a greater chance of learning disabilities and attention deficit disorders, and a tendency towards violent behavior. Indiana requires intervention by the local health department to protect children six years or younger when a child has more than 10 micrograms of lead in a deciliter of blood.
How can I tell if a person is lead poisoned?
Only a blood test performed by a health professional will tell you. Since lead leaves the blood over time, you cannot easily tell whether a person was lead poisoned in the past.
Why focus on children six or younger?
Because their bodies are still growing, children are at the highest risk. The body has difficulty telling the difference between lead and calcium. Lead in blood can get into the developing brain and permanently damage it. Pregnant woman can pass lead to a fetus. Adults and children over six can also be lead poisoned but it takes higher levels. Children under seven are the most vulnerable group.
How many children are lead poisoned in Indiana?
Because testing is not required for all children, no one knows. National averages suggest that 1 in 100 children are lead poisoned. The state recommends that all children living or playing in property built before 1978 be tested. Race and income-levels are also factors. All children eligible for Medicaid must be tested.
How do they get lead poisoned?
Lead paint dust, lead paint chips, and lead in soil are the primary sources of lead poisoning. Children playing on the floor get lead dust or contaminated soil on their toys, blankets, clothes and on their hands that they ingest. The lead dust may be invisible, and a tiny amount of lead dust can poison a child.
Where does the lead come from?
Lead primarily comes from deteriorated lead-based paint, inside or outside the home. Leadbased paint on the exterior of the home may have contaminated the soil over the years. Inside, windows and doors are the most likely places to find lead-based paint because the paint was durable. Dust can be found everywhere. The only way to know for sure is to have it checked by a risk assessor or inspector licensed by the Indiana State Department of Health.
Why 1978 and 1960?
The use of lead-based paint on residential property was prohibited after January 1, 1978. Indiana law presumes paint in a home or child-occupied facility built before 1960 is lead-based paint.
(Material taken from "Lead Poisoning Prevention in Indiana" brochure published by Improving Kids’ Environment (IKE). IKE is a not-for-profit corporation based in Indianapolis, Indiana, that works to reduce environmental threats to children's health. Learn more at: www.ikecoalition.org.)
