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1. What is lead poisoning?

• Children under the age of 6 and pregnant women are at greatest risk
• Even children who seem healthy may have high levels of lead in their blood
• Lead is easily absorbed into the body
• A serious but preventable health problem

2. Why is lead harmful?

• Lead can harm your child’s growing brain and nervous system.
• Lead may cause learning and behavior problems.
• The longer your child is exposed to lead, the more damage it can cause.

3. Where does lead come from?

• Lead dust is produced from lead paint as the paint gets older or damaged.
• Lead in house dust and soil is a major source of exposure for children because it gets on their hands, toys, and pacifiers.
• Lead is a heavy metal that is found naturally in our earth.
• The most common source of lead in old paint and leaded dust and soil. Houses built before 1978 may contain lead paint.

4. How do children get lead poisoning?

Children mainly get lead from ingestion such as:

• Hand to mouth activity
• Occasionally toys that come from foreign countries
• Paint dust, paint chips, contaminated soil

Test Consumer Products

The Gloucester County Health Department can test consumer products that may contain lead such as toys pottery, jewelry, and makeup. Residents can call to schedule a drop off time for the items they would like tested for lead. Review the information in English (PDF) or Spanish (IMG).

5. Who should be tested for lead poisoning?

• All children should be tested at both 12 and 24 months of age.
• Any child 25 to 72 months (less than 6 years) who has never been tested previously.
• Any child up to 72 months of age who has been exposed to a known or a suspected source of lead.
• Risk Factors Include:
  • If another child in the home tests positive for lead
  • Lives in or regularly visit a house or daycare built before 1978
  • Lives with or frequently visits an adult whose job or hobby involves lead (painters, home improvement workers, fishermen, etc.)