What is Lead? page -- Interactive Timeline

While efforts to reduce lead are ongoing, lead can still be found in older homes with lead-based paint or plumbing, as well as in products like batteries, imported cookware and goods, hobby supplies, and some traditional medicines and cosmetics.3

The United States government banned the use of lead in new plumbing systems. Some homes built before 1986 may still have leaded pipes, which creates a risk if lead seeps into drinking water.3

Lead became more common in products such as house paint, plumbing systems, gasoline, and makeup.5

The earliest recorded lead mine was in Turkey, long before the Bronze and Iron Ages. The oldest known smelted lead artifact—a necklace—dates back about 6,000 to 8,000 years.4

Lead became widely used in architecture, decorative art, and fashion. It was even used in medicine to treat certain ailments, despite its toxic effects.1

1900

1986

Present

6500 BCE

476 CE

1996

1978

753 BCE

1760

Present

1986

1900

6500 BCE

476 CE

Ancient Rome (753 BCE to 476 CE)

Industrial Revolution (1760 to 1900s)

Lead was mined on a large scale and widely used in plumbing, cookware, cosmetics, and wine. While lead poisoning was once considered a “disease of the wealthy,” it also affected the common people due to its abundance in everyday life.4

Lead-based paint was banned for consumer use in the United States. Those living in homes built before 1978 are at an increased risk of exposure due to deteriorating paint, which causes lead-contaminated dust.3

The Clean Air Act banned the use of leaded gasoline for cars. However, some small aircrafts still use leaded aviation fuel (avgas), increasing the risk of lead exposure for communities living near airports.2

The rise of industrial production in Europe and the United States led to a surge in lead use. Workers, including women and children, were exposed in factories that produced lead-based products such as pottery, paints, ammunition and pipes.1

1978

1996