-          Children under 5 years of age

-          People who work in a lead-related industry

-          Pregnant woman and the unborn child

Lead can enter our bodies through ingestion (eating and swallowing) of lead contaminated food, water, soil, dust or paint chips and through inhalation (breathing in) of lead dust particles. A common way of absorbing lead, particularly for young children, is through contaminated hand to mouth movements.

Why is lead in young children such an issue?

Blood lead levels above 10 µg/dL can interfere with the development of organ systems, in particular the central nervous system, which affects babies and young children more than adults as their bodies are rapidly developing.

Adverse effects in neurobehavioural function, particularly in intellectual performance (decreasing IQ) and behaviour as well as impaired haemoglobin synthesis appear to be the most common and damaging effects of lead exposure.

Adults absorb about 10% of ingested lead, whereas children's less mature digestive systems can absorb approximately 50% because lead resembles calcium and children's gastrointestinal tracts take up calcium at greater rates than adults. Nutritional deficiencies of iron and calcium can also lead to greater absorption, therefore exacerbating the toxic effects of lead.

Exposure to lead begins before birth from maternal blood circulation and increases rapidly in the first years of life, peaking at 18 months. At this age, infants need only small uptakes of lead (60-130 µg/day) to push their blood lead levels up to 15 µg/dL.