How lead gets into a child’s body

Before we start each section, we’ll ask you a question to help you see how much you've learned.

How does lead enter a child’s body?

How can lead most commonly enter a child’s body?

A. Only through the skin.

B. Through the air, through their mouth and through food and water.

C. Only through injections or medicine.

Lead is a stealthy poison, like a ghost.

Children are exposed during everyday activities:

Through the air: Breathing invisible lead from nearby recycling and industrial activities.
Through the mouth: Swallowing lead from dust on the hands while crawling or playing, paint chips or dust, some toys.
Through food and water: Drinking water from old pipes or using it to prepare food or baby formula, eating certain spices or sweets.

Children explore their world by crawling and putting their hands in their mouths. This makes exposure easy and often unnoticed.

Because you can’t see, smell or taste lead, families often don’t realize they are being exposed. Knowing how exposure happens makes prevention possible.