"Was your house built after 1978," asks Dr, Gary Ginsberg, a toxicologist, consumer advocate, and author of the remarkable book, What's Toxic, What's Not.

"No? Great news," he says, "that means you don't have lead paint to worry about. There are other sources of lead that can be toxic to you and your children." If your home was built before 1987, the plumbing may have lead in it - causing your drinking water to be at risk for lead. There are also a number of consumer products and hobbies that can still be a source of lead. You may also bring lead home from your job on your clothing. Or your child may pick up lead at day care, school or a neighbor's house.

A blood lead test is strongly recommended at least twice, generally at one and two years of age. The testing is available at doctor's offices and medical clinics, and is typically either offered for free or is covered by medical insurance.

The Centers of Disease Control creates this table to determine your next steps:

Lead is ranked a high toxicity risk because of its well-recognized effect on many organs, most notably the brain.

Dr. Ginsberg says. "The bottom line is that lead hazards need to be controlled or eliminated if they exist in your home."

To avoid lead poisoning:
• Keep any lead-painted surfaces in good repair
• Consider using a lead encapsulant to coat lead-painted surfaces. The painted surface must be intact (not peeling) and clean.
• Clean floors and window wells regularly to minimize the amount of lead dust available for children to ingest.
• Test your drinking water for lead if the plumbing in your house is from before 1985.
• Check the pH of the water to see if is too corrosive and needs to be adjusted.
• At a minimum, thoroughly flush the water before drinking it the first time it is used in the morning.

Source: "What's Toxic, What's Not." ISBN 0-425-21194-0

For more about lead, visit www.healthychild.org