The danger
Many people are aware of the risk of lead-based paint in older homes. Less known is that your home could be surrounded by lead-contaminated soil, even if you don’t live near an old factory site. Lead particles can build up in the top few inches of soil from several sources: leadbased paint, factory emissions and exhaust from vehicles that once burned leaded gasoline.
What you can do
Create a barrier: Avoid letting children play in bare soil, especially in a city. Laying down a thick layer of sod, mulch or even a blanket can reduce their exposure to lead dust in soil. Consider replacing contaminated soil with clean dirt. Keep children’s play areas and vegetable gardens away from the “dripline” around the base of homes or garages, where soil is more likely to be contaminated from airborne lead particles and flaking paint. Wash up: Children are exposed to lead dust by putting dirty hands or toys in their mouths. Wash hands and toys frequently. “For lead, there’s no fivesecond rule. If you drop a lollipop in the dirt or window well, you can’t put it back in your mouth. Either wash it off or throw it away,” said Mary Jean Brown, chief of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s lead poisoning prevention branch. Eat well: Good nutrition can protect children from the effects of lead exposure. “If you don’t have enough calcium or iron, your body will absorb (more) lead,” Brown said. Get tested: Pediatricians and local health departments can test children’s blood to measure lead levels. Local health departments can provide advice on how to test homes, yards and gardens for lead. Keep surfaces clean: Household dust can be a major source of lead exposure for children. “Contaminated soils do come into people’s homes and get incorporated into house dust,” said Miriam Rotkin-ellman, an environmental scientist with the Natural Resources Defense Council. Leave shoes at the door to avoid tracking contaminated soil inside. Wet-mop floors and wet-wipe surfaces — especially window ledges — every two to three weeks, the CDC advises.