Breathing or ingesting contaminated soil, dust, air, or water near waste sites. Breathing tobacco smoke. Eating contaminated food grown on soil containing lead or food covered with lead-containing dust. Breathing fumes or ingesting lead from hobbies that use lead. Lead can affect almost every organ and system in your body.
Lead damages the central nervous system, kidneys and immune system.
The effects are the same whether it is breathed or swallowed. Exposure to lead is more dangerous for young and unborn children. Unborn children can be exposed to lead through their mothers. Harmful effects include premature births, smaller babies, decreased mental ability in the infant, learning difficulties, and reduced growth in young children. These effects are more common after exposure to high levels of lead.