A century ago, Australian epidemiologists linked lead paints to childhood poisoning. Paints containing lead were banned Down Under in 1920, but it took the U.S. almost 60 years to follow suit. Until the 1940s, scientists believed that once lead exposure ceased, the mineral left the body and did no lasting damage. Now they know differently. Lead is stored in the bones and leaves the body very slowly.
Studies show that lead-linked childhood disabilities persist through young adulthood.
Lead also crosses the placenta, and each year an estimated 400,000 children are born with elevated levels. The U.S. banned lead from passenger-car gasoline in 1990, but it is still present in farm vehicle fuel, and leaded gasoline continues to be used around the world. Banning lead from gasoline was a step forward, but by itself, it's no solution. Gasoline lead is still very much with us - in our soil and groundwater. When lead-contaminated soil is disturbed, some of the lead becomes airborne, and may be inhaled into nearby lungs.