Lead-base paint that is in good condition is usually not a hazard. Up until the mid-1970's the use of leaded gasoline was responsible for most of the lead in the environment. Although vehicle emissions of lead were markedly reduced to 3,900 tons in 1986, an estimated 4 to 5 million metric tons of lead has accumulated in the soil due to the use of leaded gasoline in previous years. Those growing crops or garden produce near busy roads or highways should check the levels of lead present in the soil. Due to mounting the amount of lead leaching into the water, the use of lead solder was banned in 1986.
Canned food sealed with lead solder also represent a danger.
The lead from lead-soldered cans leaches into the contents of the can but acidic foods are especially susceptible. Canned fruit, fruit juices, and tomato sauce are primary targets for lead contamination. A newly opened can of juice will contain a lead concentration exceeding the maximum contaminant level, while an open can of juice remaining in the refrigerator for a few days will have dangerous levels due to oxidation. Instead, the FDA urged the domestic food canning and packaging industries in the mid 1970's to remove lead solder from cans on a voluntary basis. Since then, the percentage of cans using lead solder has been reduced from 90 percent in 1979, to about 16 percent in 1987.