How can I be exposed to lead?

• March 28, 2024 |

As the use of lead in various products has been phased out, our exposure to lead has greatly declined. Leaded gasoline, once a huge source of lead exposure, was phased out by 1995. Today, the Oregon Health Authority says the state’s most common source of lead exposure is from paint chips and dust in homes and buildings built before 1978; lead-based paints were banned for use in housing in 1978. Lead also can be found in some private household plumbing materials.

If the drinking water they consume comes from a system with lead service lines or with lead in the source water, or their home has lead pipes, the EPA estimates that 10 to 20 percent of human exposure to lead may come from lead in drinking water. Infants who consume mostly mixed formula can receive 40 to 60 percent of their exposure to lead from drinking water.