What common foods contain lead?
Lead was most commonly found in the following baby foods types:
- Fruit juices: 89% of grape juice samples contained detectable levels of lead, mixed fruit (67%), apple (55%), and pear (45%)
- Root vegetables: Sweet potatoes (86%) and carrots (43%)
- Cookies: Arrowroot cookies (64%) and teething biscuits (47%)
Where can lead be found in homes?
Lead is found in the air, soil, dust and paint inside or outside of some homes and other buildings built before 1978. Too much lead exposure can cause serious health problems, but fortunately, lead poisoning can be prevented. See bellow common sources of lead in the home and how to avoid them.
How is lead used in everyday life?
Lead is still widely used for car batteries, pigments, ammunition, cable sheathing, weights for lifting, weight belts for diving, lead crystal glass, radiation protection and in some solders. It is also sometimes used in architecture, for roofing and in stained glass windows.
What are the most common sources of lead poisoning?
Lead-based paint and lead-contaminated dust are the most common sources of lead poisoning.
Where is lead most commonly found?
Lead typically occurs in very small amounts in ores such as galena, anglesite and cerussite. Lead is commonly mined and smelted in Missouri, Idaho, Utah, Colorado, Montana and Texas, according to Plumbing Manufacturers International. About one-third of the lead in the United States is recycled.
Where is lead still used?
The largest use for lead is in storage batteries in cars and other vehicles. Lead compounds are used as a pigment in paints, dyes, and ceramic glazes, and in caulk. Lead paint was banned for consumer use in 1978 in the U.S.; however, it is still used in industrial paints such as those used on cars, bridges, and ships.