We are all familiar with the lead paint issue. Houses with lead paint are potential time bombs, waiting to explode, especially if the houses contain small children. Lead can cause brain damage and other problems, and kids manage to ingest it and can become sick.

Its not just homes, either. It is any place where there are young children. Day care centers and schools are possible exposure points. Young usually means six and under. Over six, and children seem to lose the appetite for paint chips.

Since the mid 1990s, when we started to understand that this problem is out there, other lead problems were identified as well. You can find a list of lead problems on the National Safety Council's web site. The NSC is a non governmental, non profit organization with main offices at 1121 Spring Lake Drive, Itasca, IL. 60143-3201. Its mission is to reduce public hazards through awareness and education and has been doing so for generations.

In January 1999, the NSC issued a press release advising that some dietary calcium supplements contained unacceptable levels of lead. The Center petitioned the FDA to develop regulations to govern lead levels in dietary calcium supplements.

This is of special importance for woman and older people, as supplements are often recommended for these people. The NSC has concluded that lead levels may be too high in some of these products and for now, apparently urges consumers to ask the right questions and make informed buying decisions.

Hair coloring products may also pose a lead hazard. In October 1998, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration cautioned that lead may be used as a color additive in certain "progressive" hair dye products. Progressive dye products are the ones which are applied gradually, over a period of time.

Apparently, testing was done under controlled conditions and concluded that there were no significant increases in blood levels when such products are used correctly. Nonetheless, these products must be used as directed, and don't letter your grandchildren get their hands on them. Consumers with questions are urged to review the product ingredient declarations for further information.

In 1996, we lost our blind innocence when we found that mini blinds may contain lead. That year, the Consumer Products Safety Commission tested imported mini blinds and made this discovery. Apparently, lead stabilizes the plastic in these blinds.

When the blinds become hot from the sun, the lead dislodges itself in the form of potentially harmful dust. Many new blinds are lead free, but ask questions and check the labels. In any event, be careful with older blinds in you house, especially if you have smaller children. At issue were perhaps 25 million non-glossy vinyl blinds made in China, Mexico, and Indonesia.

Also in 1996, the Consumer Products Safety Commission released the results of study which indicated that public playground equipment sometimes contains peeling lead paint. Playgrounds were tested in 13 cities, and many contained peeling lead paid on their equipment. Reports from other cities indicated that the problem is not uncommon. Watch your children if you are not sure, and wash their hands to avoid hand mouth exposure. Also, you may wish to ask local officials to test playground equipment.

For additional information on these alerts, go to the National Safety Council web site. While this is not a panic-alert issue, it is an important one because lead can make our children become ill, and lead poisoning appears to be difficult to reverse.

Published: June 1, 2000

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Stuart Lieberman, Esq. writes about environmental issues. He was a New Jersey Deputy Attorney General assigned to the State Department of Environmental Protection from 1986 to 1990. Currently he is a shareholder in the environmental law firm of Lieberman & Blecher, P.C., located in Princeton, New Jersey. Stuart can be reached at slieberman@liebermanblecher.com.