Childhood poisoning from lead-based paints was first noted in 1897 in Australia, where children were described as having eaten paint chips from porch railings. This prompted the City of Brisbane to pass specific legislation designed to prevent poisoning from lead-based paint. It was first believed that the illness caused in children by ingesting lead-based paint was acute, with no chronic effects. However, by the 1940s, the medical literature revealed lingering behavior disorders and mental retardation. Most retained lead is stored in the bones, and at high levels can cause encephalopathy and even death.
Lead poisoning affects almost all organ systems in the body.
Lead and paint manufacturers suppressed dissemination of information about the toxic effects of lead-based paint products and actively stymied development of alternatives to lead in paint. In the 1920s, painters' unions became aware of the occupational hazards of lead exposure, resulting in workers getting protection from lead poisoning while children of uninformed consumers still ingested paint chips. Despite this, Glidden still continued to manufacture and sell lead-based paint. The Lead Industry Association, formed in 1928, actively attempted to discredit the evidence warning of lead toxicity. This association went so far as to publish an industry paper in 1952 affirming the safety of lead.