Houses built before 1950 are the most likely to contain lead based paint, one of the leading sources of lead poisoning. Lead is an element found in the environment but NOT found naturally in the human body. Lead enters the body through oral ingestion or inhalation of lead dust. It then enters the blood stream where it will remain until later being stored in soft tissues such as the liver, kidneys and brain. Over time lead can settle into bones or teeth and remain there for over 20 years.
Lead poisoning occurs when the amount of lead in a person's bloodstream is too high.
An amount of lead the size of three granules of sugar if ingested daily is enough to poison a child. Oral ingestion of lead dust and lead paint is the main way that children become lead poisoned. Children under the age of six and pregnant women have the highest risk of getting lead poisoned since their bodies absorb lead in the highest quantities. The human body cannot distinguish lead from calcium, and developing bodies require high amounts of calcium. Children exposed to even small amounts of lead can have serious mental and physical developmental problems.