National Center for Education in Maternal and Child Health. Courtesy Ohio State University, Horticultural Extension. Why You Should Worry About Lead Lead is an extremely stable element categorized as a heavy metal. It is very toxic to humans and animals. Lead is a neurotoxin and lead poisoning is one of the most common pediatric health problems in the United States.
Most children show no symptoms.
All children should be screened between the ages of 6 months and 6 years annually. Contact your family physician or clinic for lead testing referrals. Through the addition of industrial lead pollutants, such as lead particles and chips from lead-based paints, automobile emissions from leaded fuels, and other industrial sources, lead levels in contaminated soil range from 500 ppm to over 3,000 ppm. Soils near a heavily traveled roadway are typically 30-2,000 ppm higher than soils in a natural area. Soils adjacent to houses painted with exterior lead based paint may contain lead levels as high as 10,000 ppm.