Lead is a highly toxic metal that was widely used in common household products, such as gasoline, paint, plumbing, and pottery for many years. However, lead poses serious health risks, especially to young children, and the U.S. government has been working since the late 1970s to significantly reduce our lead exposure. They removed lead from gasoline, banned the use of lead in residential paint, and reduced the presence of lead in drinking water and industrial air pollution.
Lead paint is still one of the most significant sources of Indiana lead poisoning. People who live in houses built before 1960, houses remodeled before 1978, or public housing built before 1978 —especially those residences with chipping, peeling, or powdering paint —are at increased risk.