When products containing lead deteriorate, tiny lead particles can contaminate homes and the environment.
Regulations now limit the amount of lead used in paint, gasoline, and other applications.
However, because lead lasts a long time, environmental lead pollution remains a health hazard. Lead can cause health problems for people when it is taken into their bodies. At very high levels, it can cause seizures, coma, and even death. While potentially harmful to individuals of all ages, lead exposure is especially harmful to children under six years of age because it affects their developing brains and nervous systems. Ingesting or swallowing lead-contaminated materials is the primary way people get lead poisoning at home.