Lead poisoning - nutritional considerations; Toxic metal - nutritional considerations

• Run tap water for a minute before drinking or cooking with it.
• If your water has been tested high in lead, consider installing an effective filtering device or switch to bottled water for drinking and cooking.
• Avoid canned goods from foreign countries until the ban on lead soldered cans goes into effect.
• If imported wine containers have a lead foil wrapper, wipe the rim and neck of the bottle with a towel moistened with lemon juice, vinegar, or wine before using.
• Don't store wine, spirits, or vinegar-based salad dressings in lead crystal decanters for long periods of time, as lead can leach out into the liquid.

Other important recommendations:

• Paint over old leaded paint if in good condition, or remove the old paint and repaint with lead-free paint. If it needs to be sanded or removed because it is chipping or pealing, get advice on safe removal from the Housing and Urban Development (HUD) hotline (800-RID-LEAD) or the National Lead Information Center (800-LEAD-FYI)
• Keep your home as dust free as possible and everyone should wash their hands before eating.
• Dispose of old painted toys if you do not know whether they have lead-free paint.

Previous Section

Lead Side Effects

Next Section

Lead Prevention

Review Date: 02/02/2011
Reviewed By: Eric Perez, MD, Department of Emergency Medicine, St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center, New York, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)