The harmful metal is found in paint in houses built before 1978. Dust from chipping paint or from dirt contaminated with exhaust from old, leaded gasoline are primary sources of lead poisoning. Sometimes lead also is found in the water of older homes. Government officials recommend that old, chipping paint be repaired or removed to reduce the threat to children. That can be expensive, and little financial help is available.
Officials also warn that renovating older homes can stir up lead-laden dust.
Many doctors and activists who deal with lead-poisoning issues complain that not enough is being done to eliminate lead paint and lead from pipes. Doctors at the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, who set the lead standard, did not return messages Tuesday afternoon. At the end of that time, when the children were 5, the researchers tested the children's IQs. Children who had 1 to 9 micrograms of lead per deciliter of blood had an average IQ of 11 points less than those who had no lead. For each 10 micrograms of increased lead in the children's blood, their IQ dropped another 5.5 points.