The main danger is that old paint often falls off walls in small pieces. Children find that these paint flakes are somewhat sweet and eat the chips, causing lead poisoning. Although dishes have come a long way from the lead jars of the Romans and the lead-alloyed pewter plates of the American colonists, some forms of ceramics continue to use lead glazes and decorative paints or dyes based on lead. The ceramics in question are primarily the shiny forms, called porcelains or enamels. The less shiny stoneware, unless painted or decorated, has negligible levels of lead.
Ceramic tableware is considered the largest source of dietary lead today.
In some samples of a pint of water drawn through a faucet, lead reached levels as high as 25 times the allowable maximum daily intake. Such leaching may diminish as faucets age. Lead often travels with calcium. Calcium supplements are offered as pills or added to some products, especially drinks likely to be consumed by children. Antacid tablets are also often promoted as calcium supplements.