Lead Test Kit Reviews and Buying Guide:

It seems that every few days we are hearing about another huge recall of toys from Mattel, Hasbro, or Learning Curve. Many of the toys our kids play with and use are either made or packaged in China and other countries where labor is cheap. Unfortunately, the same levels of consumer protection that we have in the United States are not as prevalent in other countries and companies are finding high levels of lead in paint that is on these toys. Should parents really be concerned? It's hard to say, many of us grew up in households that had lead paint on blinds, walls, and even in our water. High levels are definitely not good for your body, so getting your house checked is a good idea if you suspect anything. As for toys that get recalled, send them back to the company that produced them, don't just throw them away where they will get put into a landfill or worse yet found and sold at a thrift store to another poor child.

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Homes in America that were built before 1978 often had lead paint on the interior or exterior. So if you live in one of those homes, the odds are there are some remnants of lead paint somewhere. Will it harm you? Kids are the most likely ones to get elevated blood lead levels since they tend to touch things and then put their fingers in or near their mouths which is how the lead spreads. Experts that children under the age of 6 are most prone to adverse health effects since their central nervous system and brains are still forming. You could see learning disabilities, stunted growth, ADD, a reduced IQ, or even kidney damage in kids with lead blood levels that are considered "low". The National Safety Council sells a lead test kit for $29.99 in which you collect the dust samples from your home and then forward them on to a laboratory for professional analysis (Download the order form HERE). This seems to be the most economical and accurate way to go out testing for lead levels in your home. There are home lead test kits that we will go into below, but they are not nearly as accurate as consumers would like and health experts warn that you shouldn't accept their findings. There are lead inspectors that go this sort of thing for a living and they are probably your best bet on determining if there are high levels of lead in your house. Hiring a lead test company can be expensive, so many people use the home test kits instead or wait to hear a recall on certain toys. We found a very informative page online at the Environmental Protection Agencies website that goes into "testing your home for lead in paint, dust, and soil"

Home Lead Test Kits - Do they Really Work?:

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) in a recent article evaluated the 'consumer lead test kits' that people use in their homes and found that many tests give you false negative readings and false positives. They are just not reliable and the CPSC recommends that you don't not use these to determine lead levels in your home. Many of the tests had a hard time with proudcts that have lead but are covered with non-leaded coating. Even the results we read online at Amazon.com in their customer review section of home lead tests seemed contradicting. The Homax LeadCheck sells for less than $5 and gets mixed reviews with hard to figure results that leave some consumers wondering if there is lead or not on toys or other household items. First Alert has a lead test product that sells for around $11 and that too gets poor results and feedback from consumers. Lead Inspector (Leadinspector.com) is another product that claims great things but it too leaves the experts wondering just what you will find. You get 8 lead tests for $12.99 when you order on their website. For something as important as your childs health we would hope you will spend more than $13 to get accurate findings and results you can rely upon. We suggest that you browse the best selling lead paint test kits here.

Hiring a Lead Test Company:

One of the surest ways to test for lead levels in your home is to go with a professional. Their testing equipment is much more reliable and certainly way more accurate than the home bought lead test kits. You can call 1-800-424-LEAD to find a lead paint testing company in your area. We also found a website that lists professionals that do lead tests in your state or area HERE. If you get an x-ray fluorescence test done by a lead inspector in your house, it could cost between $300-$400 for an average sized house. Inspectors should use the HUD (Housing and Urban Development) guidelines. You can check your local Yellow Pages for "lead inspectors" to find one in your area. Get a few estimates since we recently heard that some companies are taking advantage of the 'lead paint' paranoia amongst parents and charging way to much for a simple lead test.

Toys with Lead Paint:

We were just informed that several of the Thomas the Train toy trains had lead paint on them and the company (Learning Curve) that sells them recalled certain cars and replaced them (free of charge of course). What levels of lead was my son exposed to? It's hard to say unless we get his blood tested and even then the results don't necessarily mean his lead levels came directly from the trains since many other things he's around could have lead as well. You can check the major toy manufacturers websites for the latest news. Mattel has posted their lead paint recall toys HERE - they list lead paint issues as well as other health hazards related to kids toys.

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