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Lead is a toxic metal that harms the developing brain, and babies and young children are most at risk. The CDC says no safe level of lead in children's blood has been identified. It still turns up in old paint, water pipes, soil, some imported cookware and spices, and in small amounts in many foods.
How we reported this guide
✓ Every claim links to the study, agency or news report behind it.
✓ We say when research shows a link rather than proof.
✓ We didn't run our own tests. This guide summarizes published research and government data.
Table of Contents
Why is lead so dangerous?
Lead interferes with how the brain and nervous system develop. In children, even low levels are linked to lower IQ, attention problems and trouble learning, and the damage can't be reversed.
Who's most at risk: Young children, who absorb lead more easily than adults and put their hands and toys in their mouths.
In adults, long-term exposure is tied to heart disease, and exposure during pregnancy is tied to low birth weight. The EPA expects its newest lead pipe rule to cut rates of both and raise children's IQ in affected neighborhoods.
Where does lead exposure come from?
Old paint. Homes built before 1978, when lead paint was banned for homes, may still have it. Chipping paint and dust from sanding or renovation are the biggest sources for young children.
Lead pipes. Lead service lines carry water from the main into many older homes. The EPA now estimates about 4 million remain nationwide.
Soil near old houses, busy roads and former industrial sites.
Some imported cookware. In August 2025, the FDA warned that certain imported aluminum, brass and aluminum-alloy pots and pans can leach lead into food.
Food and spices. Lead occurs naturally in soil, so small amounts end up in many crops, including those used in baby food. In 2023, lead-contaminated cinnamon in applesauce pouches sickened hundreds of young children.
The EPA estimates about 4 million lead service lines remain. Its 2024 rule requires most water systems to replace them by 2037.
Why is MAHA concerned about lead?
The MAHA Commission's 2025 report listed heavy metals among the chemical exposures it says may be driving chronic disease in children. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has focused on infant formula in particular. Before taking office, he promised the FDA would stay on top of heavy metals in formula instead of leaving it to outside researchers. In January 2026, he said HHS would regulate formula makers to bring their products closer to breast milk.
For many parents, the remaining gap is enforcement. The FDA's baby food limits are voluntary, and formula has no heavy-metal limits at all. Even Abbott, one of the largest formula makers, has urged the FDA to set scientific standards for contaminants.
What is the government doing about lead?
FDA · BABY FOOD
Voluntary lead limits for baby food
In January 2025, the FDA finalized lead limits for processed foods for babies and children under 2: 10 parts per billion for fruits, vegetables, mixed dishes, yogurts, custards and single-ingredient meats, and 20 parts per billion for single-ingredient root vegetables and dry infant cereals. They're guidance, not binding rules, though the FDA can use them to decide when to take enforcement action. They don't cover formula, juice or snacks.
The FDA's lead limits are 10 parts per billion for most baby foods and 20 for single-ingredient root vegetables and dry infant cereals.
FDA · INFANT FORMULA
Formula testing, but no limits
In March 2025, the FDA launched Operation Stork Speed to review infant formula safety, the same day Consumer Reports released tests finding potentially harmful levels of arsenic and lead in dozens of formula samples. In April 2026, the FDA reported results from 312 formula samples, with heavy metals far below the EPA's drinking water limits. The US still has no enforceable heavy-metal limits for formula, unlike the European Union, Canada and Australia.
EPA · DRINKING WATER
Lead pipes must be replaced by 2037
A 2024 EPA rule requires most water systems to replace their lead pipes by 2037, and it lowers the lead level in tap water that forces a utility to act from 15 to 10 parts per billion. The Trump administration has said it will keep the 10-year deadline.
How can you lower your family's exposure to lead?
In homes built before 1978, wet-mopping floors and windowsills picks up lead dust instead of spreading it around.
FOR PARENTS
Ask about a blood lead test
Ask your pediatrician about testing, especially around ages 1 and 2, or if you live in an older home.
AT THE TAP
Check your service line and filter your water
Look for: A filter certified to remove lead under NSF/ANSI Standard 53.
Water utilities had to publish service line inventories in 2024, and many have online lookup tools. Use cold tap water for drinking, cooking and mixing formula, and run the tap for a minute or two if water has been sitting.
IN OLDER HOMES
Keep lead dust down
In homes built before 1978, wet-mop floors and windowsills, and hire a lead-safe certified contractor for any renovation.
More ways to cut exposure:
Skip imported aluminum or brass cookware without clear testing. Stainless steel, cast iron and glass are safer bets.
Rotate baby foods rather than serving the same root vegetables or rice cereal every day.
Take shoes off at the door to keep contaminated soil out.
FAQs
Is there a safe level of lead for children?
No. The CDC says no safe level of lead in children's blood has been identified, and the damage can't be reversed.
Does the FDA limit lead in baby food?
Yes, but the limits are guidance, not binding rules. They're 10 parts per billion for most baby foods and 20 for single-ingredient root vegetables and dry infant cereals, and they don't cover formula, juice or snacks.
Is there lead in baby formula?
In April 2026, FDA testing of 312 formula samples found heavy metals far below the EPA's drinking water limits. The US still has no enforceable heavy-metal limits for formula.
The bottom line
No safe blood lead level has been identified in children, and the damage is permanent.
Old paint and dust are still the biggest sources for kids, followed by pipes, soil, some imported cookware and food.
The FDA's baby food lead limits are voluntary, and formula has no enforceable heavy-metal limits.
A blood test, a check of your service line and a certified water filter are the most useful steps.
More from Healthy Again
Sources
Healthy, Again. is health news, not medical advice. Talk to your pediatrician about lead testing for your child.