The two major sources of ambient lead contamination are auto exhausts and industrial emissions 4 . In the United States and Canada, the almost complete elimination of lead from gasoline and containers used for canned foods, plus its reduction in paints have reduced the incidence of elevated lead levels during childhood. In fact, the removal of lead from gasoline, which began in the US in 1972 and was completed in 1995, is responsible for an almost fourfold reduction in median blood lead levels in US children from 1976 to 19915. Currently, in the United States, the most common source of lead exposure for children is lead-based paint that has deteriorated into paint chips and lead dust. Infants and children are at special risk for lead poisoning due to their developing nervous systems, small body size, and high absorption rate 11 .
Infants are particularly vulnerable to lead intoxication from water.
The use of infant formulas which require reconstitution may present inadvertent lead hazards to young infants if reconstituted with lead contaminated water. The toddler years present special hazards. In fact, the highest blood lead levels are observed between 13 and 36 months of age 4 . Exacerbating the problem is the high prevalence of iron deficiency in this age group, which increases gastrointestinal absorption of ingested lead. The neurotoxic properties of lead at high doses have been recognized for years.