Free Lead Dust Tests
Maine CDC offers free home lead dust test kits to families with young children or children on the way. Order a free home lead dust test kit. Watch our video to see how to do the test.
Jobs and Hobbies
Even if your home does not put your child at risk for lead poisoning, your job or hobby might. Lead dust from hobbies and jobs can easily be carried into a child's environment. Even small amounts of lead can affect how a young child learns and thinks.
Don't take lead home from your job.
Lead dust can be carried away from a work site on work clothes, shoes, tools, hair and skin. Lead dust can easily cling to children's car seats, clothes and toys. Pregnant women should be especially careful of lead dust.
Workplace Exposure
Your child can get lead poisoning if you or someone who lives in your home works with lead. Some kinds of work make lead dust or fumes. You cannot see lead dust, but it can get on your hands, face, and clothes.
You may work with lead dust if you:
- Remove old paint
- Tear down or remodel houses, buildings, tanks or bridges
- Work at a shooting range
- Solder pipes
- Make or fix radiators or batteries
- Melt, cast or grind lead, brass, or bronze
- Recycle or work with scrap metal
- Make or paint ceramics
- Make stained glass windows
Protecting Your Family
- Always eat outside of the work area, and away from all sources of lead.
- Wash your hands well with soap and water after working with lead
and before eating. - Wear specific clothes for work or hobbies and wash them separately
from other clothes. - If you can, change your clothes before you get in your vehicle to leave your work site,
you may be contaminating your car with lead dust from your clothing which can then
spread to places like your child's car seat. - Shower and wash your hair before holding or playing with your child.
- Know the warning signs of lead poisoning.