Lead from old paint and pipes is still a harmful and deadly hazard in millions of US homes
- Written by Aaron Specht, Assistant Professor of Health Physics, Purdue University
When lead-based paint blisters and cracks, lead dust may be released in the air. Douglas Rissing/iStock via Getty Images PlusLead is a potent neurotoxin that causes severe health effects such as neurological damage, organ failure and death.
Widely used in products such as paint and gasoline until the late 1970s, lead continues to contaminate...




