lead where does it come from?

[counterGOPI]

soo... i dont have time at the moment to type up the whole story but it ends up pur paint ISNT LEAD . neither is our soil.
our water 99% is not lead..but that hasnt been checked just yet...
WHAT THE HECK ELSE COULD HAVE LEAD?!?!
keys...we dont let her play with them.
crib...don't have one
old toys...dont have any only haba and toys from germany.

im at a loss!!!
do magnets have lead maybe? i dont know what it could be!! please help!!!

[SusannahM]

Do you go to parks and playgrounds a lot? It seems like there is a lot of old paint at these places.

I've also read some things on the internet suggesting that the paint used for bread bags and other things that are painted plastic can still be lead-based by law, and that some may be. So, definitely don't use any of these things inside-out.

[counterGOPI]

not very often at all. the one we sometiems go to is brand new.

[mamak05]

Where do you and/or your DP work? It could be coming home with you on clothes or shoes (especially shoes). Showering/changing before you come home and leaving work shoes outside could be the answer.

[counterGOPI]

i stay at home with dd and dh works in a new office..sits at a desk all day.

[~MoonGypsy~]

Do you wear your shoes in the house? Your soil may not be lead, but that doesn't mean your picking it up in a parking/sotre/etc.

What about your china or crystal?
Some candles contain lead in their wicks and it get incenerated into the air when burnt.
You mentioned toys from germany - are they a reputable company? Some imported toys have been known to contain high amounts of lead.
Have you done any remodeling lately? Your paint may not contain lead, but some of the other parts of the house could.

[slacker_mom]

some more leaded items found in the home:

batteries
ceramic glazes, esp. red and yellow
christmas lights
cigarettes
curtain weights
enameled items
fireplace surrounds
fishing sinkers
jewelry
mirror backing
plastic miniblinds
pool cue chaulk
toy soldiers
umbrellas
vinyl coated fabric

[artsyfartsymama]

Has the water in your house been tested? Or are you using filtered water? A lot of times the water coming in the house is 99% lead free, but the lead leeches out of the pipes in the house.

[rainyday]

Did one of your DC have a high level of lead? One of the biggest causes is ceramic dishware and exposure to lead from a parent's clothing. Also, there are always recalls on kids' toys that are found to have high lead levels. Kids can get high lead levels from toys or from ingesting a toy with a high lead level. If you call your local public health office, they should be able to help you track down the source.

[counterGOPI]

we are getting my lead tests back today so we'll see if its me and our dr got te base lead expert helping us now too. phew this is a headache!!

[HipGal]

Do you have any stained glass windows? They often have lead.

Hope you find out what is going on!

- Kari

[SleeplessMommy]

About lead paint in a house - there are 2 different tests. The chemical test will check for surface leard only. The XRF (x-ray flourescence) "ray-gun" test can check for lead in all layers of paint.

Get your water tested (first water draw of the moring, to get the water that has been in the pipes overnight.

If you have a garden, have the soil checked - soil can be lead contaminated from pesticides, outdoor paints, and leaded gasoline.

You need some lead paint test kits from Home Depot/Lowes. If you have vintage dishes that you eat off of, you can test those. Also vinyl blinds more than 5 years old (there was a recall), painted antique furniture, etc.

Ask the health department to come by and check it out, if they have not already.

[mbravebird]

Sidewalk chalk?? Crayons from China? Garden hose? Computer cords?? Children's soft vinyl lunchboxes?

Very little lead passes through breastmilk.

This link has a really great list of unusual lead sources (at the end of the article):
http://counties.cce.cornell.edu/Tompkins/consumer/lead/

Good luck...

[Catherine12]

Are you near a road? Because of lead being in gasoline until not so long ago roads typically have a lot of lead dust on and near them. Wind and passing cars can kick up the dust and blow it into your house. Cleaning your window wells and areas near the windows frequently can help.

Also, bathtubs, even relatively new ones, can have lead in the glaze. If you get professional lead testing they will ray-gun it for you...

[counterGOPI]

we just spent $500 on an environmental lead inspector he tested our dust walss,carpet,floor,soil,etc etc and all of it was negative.
my and dh's tests came back negative too. dd got another test done yesterday so we'll see what that says. ughhh.
we are negative in our bank acct now but when we get paid next week we'll buy a lead test and test the tub.

[counterGOPI]

im going to look into our mini blinds now. i know they are more than 5 years old and our landlord bought them so i am sure they are the cheapest kind!

[MeganW]

Originally Posted by slacker_mom

some more leaded items found in the home:

batteries
ceramic glazes, esp. red and yellow
christmas lights
cigarettes
curtain weights
enameled items
fireplace surrounds
fishing sinkers
jewelry
mirror backing
plastic miniblinds
pool cue chaulk
toy soldiers
umbrellas
vinyl coated fabric

Can you elaborate on the fireplace surrounds? We have an old fireplace that the mortar is sort of crumbling away on.

[slacker_mom]

Originally Posted by MeganW

Can you elaborate on the fireplace surrounds? We have an old fireplace that the mortar is sort of crumbling away on.

I got this info from an Australian website, but I believe the same risk would apply to older U.S. homes as well;

"In homes built before 1950, white lead base paints were used as undercoats on interior and exterior timbers and walls and as a priming coat for trowelled lath and plaster walls and cement rendered surfaces. Interior timber or metal surfaces likely to be covered with lead paint include windows, doors, ceilings, mouldings, skirting boards, stairs, fireplaces, walls and built-in cupboards. On domestic exteriors, lead primer and lead paint may cover exterior timber work and metal surfaces such as fascia, eaves, windows, doors, verandahs, fences, lacework or railings, letterboxes, sheds and other outbuilding boards."