Lead Exposure and Lead Poisoning

There’s no known safe level of lead, and children under five are most at risk. In Australia, most exposure comes from work, old paint and hobbies. The fix is finding the source and removing it.

Common sources in Australia

• Work: the most common source in adults (battery recycling, smelting, demolition, radiator repair, some construction). Lead dust comes home on clothes, skin and hair.
• Old paint: many homes built before 1970 have lead paint. Sanding, scraping or flaking paint makes toxic dust.
• Hobbies: recreational shooting, making fishing sinkers, lead lighting, glazed pottery, restoring old furniture, cars or boats.
• Products: some imported Ayurvedic and traditional medicines, some imported cosmetics (such as kohl or surma), old or imported painted toys, pewter, lead crystal and lead-glazed pottery used for food.
• Soil: near current or past smelters and mines (such as Broken Hill, Port Pirie, Mount Isa and parts of Lake Macquarie) or old roadsides.
• Water: old plumbing, lead solder and some rainwater tanks with lead flashing on the roof.

Effects

• Children: lower IQ, learning and behaviour problems, attention difficulties. Effects can be permanent, so prevention matters most.
• Pregnancy: lead crosses the placenta and passes into breast milk. It’s linked to miscarriage, preterm birth and smaller babies.
• Adults: tiredness, irritability, poor memory and concentration, headaches, high blood pressure, kidney damage and reduced fertility.
• Large exposures: tummy pain, vomiting, constipation, weakness, anaemia, seizures and coma.

The blood lead test

• A simple blood test measures recent exposure.
• If the level is above 5 micrograms per decilitre (µg/dL), the NHMRC recommends finding and removing the source, especially in children and pregnancy.
• Results above 5 µg/dL are notified to the health department in NSW and Victoria. The public health unit can help track down the source.
• Very high levels may need treatment with chelation medicines in hospital. Most people only need the source removed, then repeat tests.

Reduce exposure

• Get old paint tested before renovating. Keep children and pregnant or breastfeeding women away from the work. Consider a professional.
• Wet-mop and wet-wipe instead of sweeping or dusting.
• Wash children’s hands, toys and dummies often, especially before eating.
• Change out of work clothes and shoes before coming home, and wash them separately.
• Don’t store food or drink in lead crystal, pewter or glazed pottery.
• Check imported medicines and cosmetics with your GP or pharmacist.

See your GP if

• You work with lead or have a lead hobby and haven’t had a blood test
• Your child chews or eats paint flakes or soil, or you’ve renovated an older home
• You’re pregnant and may have been exposed
• You take imported traditional or Ayurvedic medicines

Call 000 for seizures or severe drowsiness. For advice on a possible poisoning, call the Poisons Information Centre on 13 11 26.

Weird history

• Lead was added to Australian petrol for decades. Leaded petrol was phased out in Australia by 2002, and average blood lead levels fell sharply.
• Romans sweetened wine with a syrup boiled in lead pots. Some historians think it caused widespread lead poisoning, though that’s still debated.

Helpful resources

• NSW Health: Lead in blood (control guideline)How NSW public health units follow up raised lead levels.
• Poisons Information Centre: 13 11 2624/7 advice on poisoning anywhere in Australia. Free.

Evidence and more information

• Better Health Channel: Lead exposure and your health
• NHMRC Statement: Evidence on the effects of lead on human health (2015)
• NSW Health: Lead in blood control guideline

Updated 12 November 2026. General education, not personal medical advice. Treatment depends on your situation, so talk to your GP or pharmacist.

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