It actually takes a very small amount of lead to cause lead poisoning, especially in small children. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) has set the standard of 40 µg (micrograms) per square foot as an indicator of lead contamination. To put this into perspective, it would be the equivalent of taking a 1 gram packet of sugar and spreading it evenly over 25,000 square feet (1/3 the size of a football field). At this level, a child has more than a 5 percent chance of being lead poisoned.
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), approximately 250,000 U.S. children ages 1-5 years have blood lead levels greater than 10 micrograms of lead per deciliter of blood. This is the level at which the CDC recommends public health actions be initiated. Lead poisoning can affect nearly every system in the body. Because lead poisoning often occurs with no obvious symptoms, it frequently goes unrecognized. Lead poisoning can cause learning disabilities, behavioral problems, and if levels are very high, seizures, a coma, and death might occur.
For more information, go to the U.S. EPA's lead web site.
