Lead facts are presented through cards labeled Hunting and Gathering. Below is a list of these facts.

1. Lead is a poison.

2. If lead gets into your body, it can make you sick.

3. Lead can get into your body if you swallow lead dust or breathe it in.

4. Even very small amounts of lead in your body are dangerous.

5. People who are lead poisoned may not look, feel, or act sick. Sometimes they show no symptoms at all; other times they show symptoms that can be mistaken for other problems, such as the flu.

6. Babies who are lead poisoned may cry a lot, have feeding and sleeping problems, and seem cranky.

7. Preschool children who are lead poisoned may be uncooperative, fidgety, and easily distracted.

8. School-age children who are lead poisoned may have problems concentrating, get frustrated easily, and do poorly in school.

9. The only way to know for certain if someone is lead poisoned is to test that person’s blood.

10. Lead is most harmful to unborn children and children under 6 years old, because it affects their developing brains and nervous systems, but lead can harm people of every age.

11. The bodies of growing children absorb more lead than do those of adults.

12. Lead can affect every system in the body, including the nervous system, kidneys, and liver.

13. Lead can cause lifelong learning and behavioral problems.

14. The most common source of lead poisoning is lead-based paint.

15. In the United States, lead-based paint was banned from use in houses in 1978, but millions of homes still contain old lead-based paint.

16. Lead-based paint can produce dangerous dust and flakes, which can get on children’s hands and then into their bodies when they eat or play.

17. Although lead-based paint is the most common source of lead poisoning, other sources include

    • Some imported canned foods

    • Some imported or old pottery

    • Some folk remedies

    • Some traditional cosmetics

    • Pewter

    • Ink on plastic bags

18. Lead is sometimes found in the soil around a home. The soil may be contaminated with old lead-based paint, old leaded gasoline, or lead from an industry.

19.  Lead can leach into water from old plumbing fixtures, such as faucets and pipes containing lead.

20.  Lead-based paint that is peeling, chipping, flaking, or chalking is a hazard.

21. Lead-based paint on surfaces that young children can reach—such as windows, windowsills, doors, doorframes, stairs, railings, porches, banisters, and fences—is a hazard.

22. A balanced diet—with foods that are low in fat and adequate in calcium, zinc, and iron—can help fight the effects of lead.

23. Foods that provide calcium can help fight the effects of lead. These foods include

• Milk

• Yogurt

• Broccoli

• Sardines

• Canned salmon

24. Foods that provide zinc help fight the effects of lead. These foods include

• Chicken

• Turkey

• Lean red meat

• Fish

• Milk

• Cheese

• Clams

• Oysters

• Mussels

• Crab

• Dried beans

• Lentils

• Eggs

25. Foods that provide iron can help fight the effects of lead. These foods include

• Lean red meat

• Chicken

• Turkey

• Clams

• Oysters

• Mussels

• Sardines

• Tuna

• Other fish

26. Some foods provide iron (which helps fight the effects of lead) if you eat them with other foods containing vitamin C.
    
    Foods that provide iron if eaten with foods containing vitamin C include

• Iron-fortified cereals

• Broccoli

• Spinach

• Pinto beans

• kidney beans

• Navy beans

• Garbanzo beans

• Split peas

• Lentils

• Eggs

• Prunes

• Raisins

• Figs

• Peanut butter

• Wheat germ

Foods that provide vitamin C include

• Oranges

• Strawberries

• Cantaloupe

• Green peppers

• Cauliflower

• Broccoli

• Potatoes

27. Disturbing lead-based paint by sanding or scraping it can create dangerous lead dust and flakes.

28. Almost one million U.S. children between the ages of 1 and 5 years have blood lead levels of concern.

29. In children, lead can cause

• Damage to the nervous system

• Decreased intelligence

• Learning problems

• Behavior problems

• Attention disorders

• Slowed growth

• Hearing problems

• Poor coordination

•  Headaches