Children can be exposed to lead where they live, learn, and play. Most children who have been exposed to lead do not look or act sick. Lead poisoning can cause permanent learning and behavior problems that may make it harder to be successful in school. There is no known safe blood lead level. The only way to know if a child is lead poisoned is by getting a blood lead test.

For more information about lead poisoning, parents and caretakers may contact Monterey County’s Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program at (831)755-4960.

Providers looking for more resources please click below.

What is Lead?

Lead is a toxic metal that has been used for thousands of years in commercial & household products.

Sources of Lead

Lead has been found in:

• Imported foods such as tamarind candy and chapulines (grasshoppers)
• Traditional home remedies like Greta, Azarcon, or Paylooah
• Dishes & pots made by hand, especially imported ceramics, decorated with paintings or varnish that contain lead
• Imported toys & children’s jewelry
• Traditional make-up like kohl and surma
• Paint in houses built before 1978
• Soil exposed to leaded gasoline (lead was banned from gasoline in 1995) or paint dust
• Work places where employees do repair of radiators or batteries, recycling of batteries, welding with lead, or remodeling buildings built before 1978

How is your child tested for lead?

The only way to know if your child is poisoned with lead is to do a blood test.  Ask your doctor to do a blood test to check for lead in your child. The test can be done by taking blood from the child’s finger or vein. If your child has a normal test, no followup will be needed.

Simple steps you can take to protect your child

• Wash your child’s hands often, especially before eating & sleeping.
• Wash your child’s toys.
• Mop floors and wet wipe window sills at least once a week.
• Do not eat imported tamarind candy or chapulines (grasshoppers).
• Do not use imported, older, or handmade dishes or pots for food or drinks unless they have been tested and do not have lead in them.
• Talk to your doctor before using traditional home remedies such as Greta and Azarcon (bright orange, yellow, or white powders), which may contain lead.
• If your job exposes you to lead, always use lead-safe work practices, and change out of your work clothes and shoes, and wash or shower before you come home.
• Cover bare soil where children play.
• Ask your child’s doctor to order a blood lead test if you think your child has been exposed to lead.
• Feed your child regular meals rich in calcium, iron, and vitamin C.

Well Fed = Less Lead

English Brochure Well Fed = Less Lead (ca.gov)

Spanish Brochure Buena Alimentacion (ca.gov)

For more information about lead poisoning, parents and caretakers may contact Monterey County’s Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program at (831)755-4960.

Learn More:

• Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Branch (CLPPB) (ca.gov)/CDPH En Español (ca.gov)
• Recalls, Market Withdrawals, & Safety Alerts | FDA
• Consumer Product Safety Commission/Comisión de seguridad de productos de consumo
• Food and Drug Branch (FDB) Lead in Candy
• Protect your child from lead /Proteja a su niño contra el PLOMO(PDF)
• Centers for Disease Control Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program