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Philadelphia’s smelters are shut down, and cars no longer run on leaded gasoline. But the lead they released still clings to the soil surface, along with flakes of exterior lead paint. The result: lead is in the dirt that sticks to shoes and hands after work or play in bare soil.

If your home was built before 1978, especially before 1960, it is very likely to have lead paint. Undisturbed paint with a smooth surface is not considered dangerous, and most lead paint has been covered with many layers of non-leaded paint. However, if the layered paint is loosened by water damage or pitted by the scrapes and dents of daily living, the old lead layers may become uncovered.

If you live in an old city house, you likely have lead in your paint and lead in your soil. Dust from both paint and soil contributes to house dust, and lead in house dust is a major source of lead poisoning in babies and small children. Minimizing lead dust is therefore one of the most important things you can do for your children.