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187 documented cases of lead poisoning, from the last four years.

Every entry on this page is a real call for help. Compiled from public lead-poisoning prevention archives and organized into 15 vector families covering every actual exposure pathway in current circulation. Most lists online stop at 15 to 20 sources. This one is 187, with the patterns spelled out.

By Eric Ritter, Fluoro-Spec Inc. · Updated April 2026 · 14 min read

A stack of paper case files and archival folders under a soft desk lamp

If you read every entry on this page, you will not be able to honestly say "I had no idea lead could be there." That is the entire point of the archive. Most lead-source lists you find online cap out at 15 or 20 items, the same houseware, paint, plumbing, candy story most parents already know. The archive below contains 187 distinct entries, every one tied to a real recent case from public lead-poisoning prevention archives.

The cases were organized into 15 vector families, A through O. Each family carries its own coverage notes, what is testable at home with a Fluoro-Spec drip or spray, what needs a lab test, and what needs a doctor. 69% of the 187 cases involved an item you can confirm yourself in 30 seconds with a 365 nm UV light. The other 31% need water testing, blood-lead, or environmental sampling.

The corpus at a glance

187
Real cases · last 4 years
15
Vector families (A–O)
9
Of those families are kit-testable at home
4 yrs
Of cases, current circulation only
69%
Testable with a Fluoro-Spec kit (129/187)
99%
Preventable with the Lead Framework (186/187)

How to read the cases

Each family is collapsed by default. Click to expand. Cases keep their original dossier numbering for citation. Verbatim phrasing from the original archive is preserved where short and useful, paraphrased where length required it. Coverage badges next to each family are family-level estimates. A handful of items inside a mixed family may flip the other way.

Why this matters: if you read every case on this page, you will not be able to honestly say "I had no idea lead could be there." That is the entire point of the Lead Framework. 99% of these cases stop being a real risk the moment you know they exist, you sequester, you swap, you avoid, you confirm.

For the small remainder (mostly water, ingested food, ambient air, biological), knowledge alone is not enough, you need a lab test or a doctor. Those are flagged in red on each family.

69% of the 187 cases involved an item testable at home with a Fluoro-Spec kit, one drop, 365 nm UV, glow green = lead. The other 31% needed a lab or medical confirmation. Both routes are mapped per family below.

Legend:
FS testable with Fluoro-Spec kit
FS / lab mixed, some items kit-testable, some lab-only
lab only requires lab test (water, blood, food consumption)
Framework preventable through Lead Framework knowledge
medical requires medical intervention (in-utero, biological)

The 15 vector families

Click any family to expand the case list. Each case keeps its dossier number for citation. Quotes are from the original case files, paraphrased only where necessary for length.

A. Built-environment, paint25 sources100% Fluoro-Spec testable100% Framework-preventable
  1. Lead-based house paint (general, pre-1970 AU / pre-1978 US), the dominant source across the entire corpus. "I: my parents painted the house when it was built in 1959 but later put wallpaper over it which they now want to remove because it's peeling off".
    FS Framework
  2. Paint chips / flakes / peeling paint, kids mouth, pets track. "The paint is flaking off & it looks like it's down to the substrate".
    FS Framework
  3. Chewed paint (cot rails, window sills, door frames), "I tested a cot & found lead… The cot was repainted in 1971 & was made in the 1940s. My daughter chewed the cot on a few occasions".
    FS Framework
  4. Dry sanding of lead paint, single biggest acute-exposure event in the corpus. "I started sanding the windows yesterday… She had lead poisoning".
    FS Framework
  5. Heat gun / blowtorch paint stripping, vaporizes lead. "we had extensively scraped paint & heatgunning until we found lead in the paint. Both of us are trained chemists".
    FS Framework
  6. Chemical paint stripping (Citristrip, SoyGel, Peel Away), residue + dust. "I did some Citristripping".
    FS Framework
  7. Power-washing / blasting painted exteriors, aerosolizes chips into soil and air.
    FS Framework
  8. Renovation dust (general), "I had a PbB done in the past because I was drinking water off a 1900 lead painted roof"; renovation is the #2 keyword cluster in the archive after "paint."
    FS Framework
  9. Demolition of old buildings, reconstruction, garage demo, wall removal.
    FS Framework
  10. Fire damage to painted homes, soot is concentrated lead. "my parents-in-law had a fire in the back half of their house which melted the kitchen appliances".
    FS Framework
  11. Ceiling dust (blow-in insulation era houses), "is there a ceiling dust or living space dust cleaning company in Esperance".
    FS Framework
  12. Wall / plaster dust, old plaster + painted plaster.
    FS Framework
  13. Friction surfaces, windows & jambs, opening/closing sashes grinds lead paint into sill dust. Most-cited interior hot-spot.
    FS Framework
  14. Friction surfaces, doors & door jambs, same mechanism.
    FS Framework
  15. Skirting boards / architraves, heavily painted trim in federation homes.
    FS Framework
  16. Spray-painted interiors / industrial coatings, "I was a spray painter of lead paint in the airforce".
    FS Framework
  17. Exterior weatherboards / clapboards, soil contamination downhill from painted siding.
    FS Framework
  18. Painted roofs & roof dust → rainwater tanks, "drinking water off a 1900 lead painted roof"; recurring theme in AU tank-water homes.
    FS Framework
  19. Lead flashing on roofs & chimneys, "We have lead flashings on the roof & there's a leak into the roof space".
    FS Framework
  20. Gutters, downpipes, eaves, leaded paint + flashing runoff into tanks and soil.
    FS Framework
  21. Painted bridges, towers, silos, fire towers, "Forests NSW - we've recently had our fire towers paint tested for lead. 13% result".
    FS Framework
  22. BBQ grills / metal garden furniture (old paint), "I got lead poisoning when I was renovating my heritage boatshed with a heatgun".
    FS Framework
  23. Painted vintage furniture, "a furniture dealer who suggested painting over my furniture".
    FS Framework
  24. Painted cabinets / cupboards (kitchen), "the original 1966 cupboards which I started dry sanding".
    FS Framework
  25. Painted antique doorknobs / hardware, "Lead Doorknobs (I think I have about 10!)".
    FS Framework
B. Built-environment, metals & fixtures11 sources45% Fluoro-Spec testable100% Framework-preventable
  1. Lead service lines / lead water mains, legacy municipal infrastructure.
    FS / lab Framework
  2. Lead plumbing solder (pre-1989 US, similar AU), "Is lead still permitted in Australia for food can solder?".
    FS / lab Framework
  3. Brass taps / fittings / kitchen faucets, up to 4.5% Pb historically; hot-water leaching worst. "The body of the brass lock I want to buy is 2.5% Pb".
    FS / lab Framework
  4. Brass hose bibs / outdoor taps, garden-hose drinking water.
    FS / lab Framework
  5. Galvanised steel pipes, trace lead + corrosion deposits. "Pb & Copper - Galvanic corrosion… the breakdown of the joining of copper & lead pipes".
    FS / lab Framework
  6. Copper pipes with lead solder joints (hot-water recirculator), "hot water can leach lead from copper pipes".
    FS / lab Framework
  7. Stainless shower heads / tapware with brass cores, "where & when did you purchase the stainless steel shower head & tap".
    FS / lab Framework
  8. School drinking fountains / "bubblers", "there are concerns with lead in schools in WA".
    FS / lab Framework
  9. First-flush water from any old-pipe house, stagnant overnight draw.
    FS / lab Framework
  10. Hot-water systems (brass components).
    FS / lab Framework
  11. Bronze / brass locks, keys, hinges on children's lockers, hand-to-mouth vector.
    FS / lab Framework
C. Water, non-plumbing4 sources0% Fluoro-Spec testable100% Framework-preventable
  1. Rainwater tanks fed by painted or lead-flashed roofs, dominant AU rural/regional pathway.
    lab only Framework
  2. Bore water / well water with natural mineralization.
    lab only Framework
  3. Water from premise plumbing after renovation (solder debris).
    lab only Framework
  4. Pool water with paint-dust film, "come back from holidays to a dirty pool with a film of paint dust on it".
    lab only Framework
D. Soil, dust, ambient air18 sources67% Fluoro-Spec testable100% Framework-preventable
  1. Historic leaded-petrol fallout in urban soil (phased out AU 2002, US 1996), still present near old highways, parking lots.
    FS / lab Framework
  2. Smelter fallout, community-wide, Port Pirie, Mt Isa, Broken Hill, Esperance, Boolaroo/Cockle Creek, Strathalbyn (AU); numerous US/global. "Esperance… Port dust problem".
    FS / lab Framework
  3. Underground petroleum storage tank leaks, "wondering how to advise over an argument as to when a leak from an underground petrol tank occurred".
    FS / lab Framework
  4. Small-aircraft 100LL avgas emissions around GA airports, "LEAD Group has called for a global ban on leaded aviation gasoline"; still legal worldwide for piston aircraft as of 2025.
    FS / lab Framework
  5. Coal-fired power plant emissions / fly ash / coal ash, "Coal Ash and Building Products".
    FS / lab Framework
  6. Cement kilns co-firing hazardous waste, "Heavy metal pollution in topsoils near a cement plant".
    FS / lab Framework
  7. Industrial air plumes (M5 East Stack type), "health impacts of the M5 East Motorway Stack on the Turrella Community".
    FS / lab Framework
  8. Port / harbour dust from concentrate loading, Esperance lead-carbonate spill archetype.
    FS / lab Framework
  9. Scrap metal yards, airborne + soil, "3 buckets method for cleanup".
    FS / lab Framework
  10. Auto-wrecker / panel beater / body-shop dust.
    FS / lab Framework
  11. Radiator repair shops, "I have a radiator repair shop and I have lead poisoning".
    FS / lab Framework
  12. E-waste informal recycling (circuit-board burning, CRT glass crushing), IPEN and heavy-metals-wg traffic throughout.
    FS / lab Framework
  13. Landfill / leachate / dump sites, especially near e-waste.
    FS / lab Framework
  14. Biosolids / sewage sludge applied as fertiliser, "biosolid used as fertiliser in China".
    FS / lab Framework
  15. Take-home occupational dust (on clothes, hair, vehicle), "workers health: I hold a Qld painters licence… 40 yrs"; recurring in corpus under "LeadWorkers" egroup.
    FS / lab Framework
  16. Vegetable gardens in contaminated soil, #1 reason AU callers order soil kits.
    FS / lab Framework
  17. Urban chicken coops / eggs from backyard hens, "More on: Chickens / eggs / lead".
    FS / lab Framework
  18. Playground equipment (painted, old rubber), school/childcare.
    FS / lab Framework
E. Occupational / industrial specifics12 sources42% Fluoro-Spec testable100% Framework-preventable
  1. Primary lead mining, ore dust, waste rock, tailings dams.
    FS / lab Framework
  2. Primary and secondary lead smelting, refinery stacks + slag.
    FS / lab Framework
  3. Lead-acid battery manufacturing, "51 children in eastern China poisoned by battery plant".
    FS / lab Framework
  4. Used lead-acid battery (ULAB) recycling, incl. informal, dominant global child-poisoning driver outside AU/US.
    FS / lab Framework
  5. Shipbreaking, marine paint removal.
    FS / lab Framework
  6. Lead casting / foundry / bullet casting / sinker casting, home and commercial. "my partner was outside melting lead of old sinkers to make new sinkers".
    FS / lab Framework
  7. Gold mining and artisanal gold refining using mercury + lead ore.
    FS / lab Framework
  8. Military ranges, munitions manufacture, ordnance disposal.
    FS / lab Framework
  9. Welding / cutting painted steel, fumes of lead oxide.
    FS / lab Framework
  10. Stained-glass / leadlight craftwork (came, solder, flux), "Ashfield, someone has thrown a rock & made a 10cm hole in one of the plain glass panels of our leadlight window".
    FS / lab Framework
  11. Pottery / ceramics studios using lead-frit glazes.
    FS / lab Framework
  12. Jewelry-making with lead solder / cames.
    FS / lab Framework
F. Food & ingestibles22 sources9% Fluoro-Spec testable100% Framework-preventable
  1. Imported spices adulterated with lead chromate / red lead, turmeric (Bangladesh/India), paprika, chili, curry, saffron. "Testing food items for lead. At one point I sent some spices to our lab to be tested for lead content".
    FS / lab Framework
  2. Ayurvedic, Siddha, Unani, Chinese traditional medicines, recurring cluster; intentional lead/rasa-shastra + contamination. "Question about Traditional Medicines and Lead Content".
    FS / lab Framework
  3. Imported herbal remedies (general).
    FS / lab Framework
  4. Ayurvedic / imported dietary supplements, calcium, multivitamins from bone sources.
    FS / lab Framework
  5. Calcium supplements from bone / bone meal, "Recommendations to increase calcium absorption".
    FS / lab Framework
  6. Protein powders (Consumer Reports / LeadNet threads).
    FS / lab Framework
  7. Greens powders / kelp / spirulina / chlorella, "sometimes kelp can be high in mercury" (same production modes yield Pb).
    FS / lab Framework
  8. Chocolate / cacao (Consumer Reports 2022 theme, earlier LeadNet mentions), "Asking FSANZ to test/report on lead & cadmium in chocolate sold in Australia".
    FS / lab Framework
  9. Candy, Mexican tamarind, chili-salt, imported sweets, recurring Leadnet tag.
    FS / lab Framework
  10. Rice / grains grown on contaminated soil.
    FS / lab Framework
  11. Wheat flour / bread (soil uptake).
    FS / lab Framework
  12. Baby food / baby-food juices (Prop 65 violations), "baby food and juice in violation of Prop 65".
    FS / lab Framework
  13. Infant formula reconstituted with lead-contaminated water.
    FS / lab Framework
  14. Bone broth (from animals raised on/near contaminated soil or cooked in leaded ceramic), "can I use the water test kit to test bone broth liquid?".
    FS / lab Framework
  15. Game meat shot with lead ammunition, venison, waterfowl, duck, rabbit. "many people who hunt or fish to obtain part of their diet".
    FS / lab Framework
  16. Freshwater fish with ingested lead sinkers.
    FS / lab Framework
  17. Shellfish / crab from contaminated harbours.
    FS / lab Framework
  18. Home-distilled spirits / moonshine made through lead-soldered or radiator-coil stills, "Lead atoms are far too heavy to come over in the distillate" (contested).
    FS / lab Framework
  19. Drinks served in leaded-crystal decanters, "storing for 2 or 3 wks breast milk in a beverage storer lead crystal decanter because when it is in a bottle its hard to heat it up. Twin has 13 ug/dL".
    FS / lab Framework
  20. Kratom (leaf / extract), adulteration and soil uptake.
    FS / lab Framework
  21. Paan / betel quid / gutka / pan masala.
    FS / lab Framework
  22. Hookah / shisha charcoal & tobacco.
    FS / lab Framework
G. Cookware, tableware, kitchenware14 sources100% Fluoro-Spec testable100% Framework-preventable
  1. Lead-glazed ceramic pottery (Mexican, Moroccan, Spanish, Asian, terracotta), "Moroccan tagines".
    FS Framework
  2. Tagine / cazuela / clay cooking vessels.
    FS Framework
  3. Imported decorative plates, bowls, mugs used for food, "lead in coffee mugs".
    FS Framework
  4. Leaded crystal glasses, decanters, pitchers, worst with acidic stored liquids (wine, juice, vinegar).
    FS Framework
  5. Vintage pewter mugs, plates, tankards (pre-1970), "she used to pick up a pewter [plate]".
    FS Framework
  6. Enamel-coated cast iron (imported, vintage), "Is glazing on cast iron tubs a potential lead hazard?".
    FS Framework
  7. Vintage cast iron with painted exterior.
    FS Framework
  8. Pyrex / Corelle / Fiestaware (specific vintage colours, pre-1970s uranium/lead glaze lines), Rubin thread.
    FS Framework
  9. Chinaware with metallic/gold rim paint.
    FS Framework
  10. Vintage Christmas china / heirloom dinner sets.
    FS Framework
  11. Kettles / teapots with brass or soldered components.
    FS Framework
  12. Electric kettles / coffee makers with brass fittings (Keurig-style).
    FS Framework
  13. Thermoses / travel mugs with glass inner lining sealed with leaded compound.
    FS Framework
  14. Stainless steel water bottles with painted exteriors, chipping paint.
    FS Framework
H. Children's products & toys17 sources100% Fluoro-Spec testable100% Framework-preventable
  1. Painted wooden toys (imported, vintage, handmade).
    FS Framework
  2. Metal die-cast toys, Matchbox cars, Thomas the Tank Engine wooden + metal trains. "I want to test the Thomas the Tank Engine metal trains in the 1990s"; "Lead Tainted Thomas Toys" class action.
    FS Framework
  3. Vintage soldiers / figurines / dollhouse miniatures, "lead soldiers".
    FS Framework
  4. Vinyl / PVC children's products, bibs, backpacks, lunchboxes, teethers, "Illinois leaded vinyl bibs"; "CPSC OK'd lead in lunchboxes".
    FS Framework
  5. Vinyl baby changing pads, crib mattress covers.
    FS Framework
  6. Pacifiers / dummies (imported).
    FS Framework
  7. Baby bottles with painted exteriors (imported).
    FS Framework
  8. Costume / dress-up / Halloween jewellery, "lead jewelry".
    FS Framework
  9. Cheap children's metal jewellery (pendants, charms), Reebok charm death (2006) archetype.
    FS Framework
  10. Painted zippers, snaps, metal buttons on children's clothing, "lead painted zippers, snaps and buttons on cotton".
    FS Framework
  11. Crayons and coloured pencils (imported, esp. pre-2000s China), "wooden colour pencils / GanZhou OuHua"; "is there any lead or other heavy metals in the printing ink?".
    FS Framework
  12. Chalk (imported craft / sidewalk).
    FS Framework
  13. Play jewellery imported from Asia.
    FS Framework
  14. Retro / heirloom toys given to modern kids.
    FS Framework
  15. Second-hand / op-shop / thrift-store toys, "I bought a kids kitchen hutch made out of heavy wood second hand & tested it & it has come up bright pink".
    FS Framework
  16. Vintage baby carriages, cribs, high chairs (paint).
    FS Framework
  17. Plastic / rubber figurines with surface paint.
    FS Framework
I. Cosmetics, personal care, cultural items12 sources58% Fluoro-Spec testable100% Framework-preventable
  1. Lipstick, "over 400 lipsticks contain lead".
    FS / lab Framework
  2. Kohl / kajal / surma (eye liner, South Asian / Middle Eastern), often deliberately lead sulfide.
    FS / lab Framework
  3. Sindoor / sindur (vermillion hair-parting powder, Indian married women), up to 80% Pb in some samples.
    FS / lab Framework
  4. Kumkum / bindi (forehead markings).
    FS / lab Framework
  5. Tiro (Nigerian eye cosmetic).
    FS / lab Framework
  6. Foundation / eye shadow / mascara (trace contamination).
    FS / lab Framework
  7. Henna, esp. "black henna" adulterated.
    FS / lab Framework
  8. Tattoo ink (red, yellow, white pigments), "Lead, other heavy metals and other toxics in tattoo inks".
    FS / lab Framework
  9. Incense / joss sticks (pigmented coatings).
    FS / lab Framework
  10. Religious amulets, talismans, mala beads, rosaries.
    FS / lab Framework
  11. Ayurvedic balms / ointments, "O: Lead in my bones? rookie question. I did the EDTA chelation at the Coyle Clinic in San Luis, MEXICO" tied to balm cases.
    FS / lab Framework
  12. Imported toothpaste (some Asian / Middle Eastern brands).
    FS / lab Framework
J. Hunting, shooting, fishing, hobbies17 sources76% Fluoro-Spec testable100% Framework-preventable
  1. Indoor shooting ranges, airborne lead aerosol (highest PbB occupational exposures in non-smelter contexts). "My PbB result was 23… inside shooting range up to 3-4 times a month".
    FS / lab Framework
  2. Outdoor shooting ranges, soil, water, berms.
    FS / lab Framework
  3. Bullet casting / reloading at home.
    FS / lab Framework
  4. Handling spent brass / picking up range lead.
    FS / lab Framework
  5. Lodged lead shot or bullets in human body, recurring; "Info Pack 53 - Lodged Lead Shot or Bullets".
    FS / lab Framework
  6. Lead shot retained in wildlife → wildlife poisoning (condor, swan, raptor), "banning lead ammo in condor territory".
    FS / lab Framework
  7. Lead fragments in game-meat jerky / sausage.
    FS / lab Framework
  8. Fishing sinkers, home casting, handling, mouth-holding. "Poisons told me to call you because my partner was outside melting lead of old sinkers".
    FS / lab Framework
  9. Fishing lures / jigs with lead heads.
    FS / lab Framework
  10. Commercial dive weights, "diving weights".
    FS / lab Framework
  11. Sailing / yacht lead keels, lead ballast, "What would make a good substitute for lead as ballast on undersea oil & gas pipelines?"; "chain saw to cut up leaded boat keels".
    FS / lab Framework
  12. Bow-fishing / arrow weights.
    FS / lab Framework
  13. BB / airsoft / pellet guns, lead pellets, "I was shot in the mouth with a pellet gun containing lead pellets. It lodged in my cheek".
    FS / lab Framework
  14. Muzzle-loader / black-powder shooting, cast pure lead balls.
    FS / lab Framework
  15. Stained-glass / leadlight hobby (lead came, 60/40 solder, flux fumes).
    FS / lab Framework
  16. Bronze-casting, pewter-casting hobby.
    FS / lab Framework
  17. Electronics hobby soldering (if using leaded solder).
    FS / lab Framework
K. Products with lead stabilizers / pigments / ballast14 sources100% Fluoro-Spec testable100% Framework-preventable
  1. Vinyl mini-blinds (lead stabilizer chalking), "DIY Blinds Online".
    FS Framework
  2. PVC cables, garden hoses, electrical cords, "injection moulding products used widely as water storage containers in India".
    FS Framework
  3. Vinyl flooring / linoleum (pre-2000).
    FS Framework
  4. Old plastic patio furniture, UV degradation of lead-stabilised PVC.
    FS Framework
  5. Artificial turf crumb rubber (some sources).
    FS Framework
  6. Yellow / red / orange industrial pigments (lead chromate), road markings, playground equipment, school-bus paint.
    FS Framework
  7. Ceramic tiles (imported) with leaded glaze.
    FS Framework
  8. Christmas tree lights / vintage tinsel / lead-weighted icicles.
    FS Framework
  9. Lead curtain / drapery weights, tablecloth weights.
    FS Framework
  10. Fishing-line / net weights, tent weights, sporting equipment ballast.
    FS Framework
  11. Lead-lined radiation aprons / gloves (occupational to lead workers / techs).
    FS Framework
  12. Stage weights / theatrical rigging counterweights, "supply of 340 kgs of loose lead shot small balls to use as a ballast in a water rescue stretcher for the Defence Force".
    FS Framework
  13. Fridge magnets with painted metal faces, "four different coloured fish in a magnetic fishing set".
    FS Framework
  14. Old Venetian / vinyl blinds, costume belt buckles, lead-cored key chains.
    FS Framework
L. Historic pesticides, fertilisers, agricultural1 sources0% Fluoro-Spec testable100% Framework-preventable
  1. Some imported fertilisers / soil amendments with heavy-metal contamination.
    lab only Framework
M. Transport & fuel legacy6 sources83% Fluoro-Spec testable100% Framework-preventable
  1. Leaded petrol residues, soil bands along arterial roads (see #43).
    FS / lab Framework
  2. 100LL avgas (aviation), see #46.
    FS / lab Framework
  3. Wheel weights (lead) fallen onto roadsides, picked up by kids, scrapped, remelted into sinkers.
    FS / lab Framework
  4. Vehicle batteries, handling and disposal.
    FS / lab Framework
  5. Old vehicle paint / automotive refinish lead, "Lead in vintage automobile paint causing childhood exposure".
    FS / lab Framework
  6. Brake / clutch dust (trace).
    FS / lab Framework
N. In-utero / biological4 sources0% Fluoro-Spec testable75% Framework-preventable
  1. Maternal bone-lead remobilisation during pregnancy and lactation, fetus exposed via placenta; infant via breastmilk. "there are times when it gets re-released from bones and recirculates in the blood - in times of high stress, if you break a bone".
    lab only Framework / medical
  2. Cord blood / placental transfer, "NSW Health Department lab… done placenta and cord blood".
    lab only Framework / medical
  3. Breastmilk, direct measure when maternal PbB elevated.
    lab only Framework / medical
  4. Maternal calcium deficiency accelerating bone-lead release, pica / cravings in pregnancy amplify source contact.
    lab only Framework / medical
O. Less-common / niche but documented in corpus10 sources100% Fluoro-Spec testable100% Framework-preventable
  1. Thermometers / barometers (mixed with mercury items in old medical kits).
    FS Framework
  2. Antique pewter communion / sacramental vessels.
    FS Framework
  3. Vintage enameled bathtubs, sinks (esp. clawfoot).
    FS Framework
  4. Painted cast-iron radiators / heritage heaters.
    FS Framework
  5. Old chimney / fireplace soot and painted mantels, "fireplace & I guess some paint got spread around".
    FS Framework
  6. Fireworks (coloured stars, lead dioxide, lead nitrate, chrome yellows).
    FS Framework
  7. Paint on stone / brick masonry, chalking off onto garden & paths.
    FS Framework
  8. Painted steel window grilles / security bars / wrought iron, "Harry used rust converter on the window bars of the main office".
    FS Framework
  9. Painted metal school lockers, playground frames, handrails.
    FS Framework
  10. Painted marine equipment, boatshed, buoy, bollard paint, boatshed renovation case above.
    FS Framework

Cross-cutting risk modifiers

These are not cases themselves, they are the conditions that amplify or channel every other case. They show up constantly across the archive.

  • Home age: pre-1970 AU / pre-1978 US = default assume lead paint; pre-1950 = assume high interior lead. Federation-era AU homes are repeatedly cited.
  • Home built before 1980 + child under 6 or pregnant woman = clinical risk profile.
  • Second-hand / op-shop / thrift / garage-sale / swap-meet goods, not a source per se, but the *channel* through which most items in sections G, H, I, K reach new exposure.
  • "Imported" / China / Mexico / India labels, pattern flag for items in sections F, G, H, I.
  • Pica behaviour in toddlers or pregnant women, amplifies every other source.
  • Occupation in a lead trade taking dust home on clothes/hair/vehicle, flagged repeatedly (the LeadWorkers egroup archives).

What to do once you have read all 187

If even half of these surprise you, that is the entire point. Knowing they exist is the first half. Detecting, sequestering, or confirming is the second.

1. Walk through your home with the Full Kit. The 9 testable families (paint, dust, dishware, brass, painted items, ceramics, jewelry, soil, painted toys) cover most of the rooms a child or grandchild interacts with daily.

2. For the lab-only families (water, food, ambient air, biological), use the 14-vector assessment to map which lab test or clinician conversation matches your situation.

3. Read the cross-cutting modifiers above. Pre-1978 home, second-hand goods, imported labels, pica, lead-trade occupation, these are the channels through which most of the 187 individual cases reached a real person.

You did not pick the era you were born in, the house you bought, or the items that came through customs. You can pick what you check.

References

  1. Public lead-poisoning prevention archives, current circulation (last 4 years), 187 case extracts.
  2. Van Geen, A., Helmbrecht, L., Ritter, E., et al. (2024). Lead-paint detection by perovskite fluorescence. Analytica Chimica Acta.
  3. EPA TSCA LVE L-25-0206. Fluoro-Spec lead-detection chemistry.
  4. CDC. Lead-Poisoning Prevention, sources for adults and children.
  5. EPA Integrated Risk Information System, Lead and Compounds.
  6. Pure Earth / WHO. Global lead-poisoning fact sheet, 2024.

© 2026 Fluoro-Spec Inc. · East Setauket, NY · TSCA LVE L-25-0206

detectlead.com · 14-vector assessment · baby-proof · dishes · FAQ · eric@detectlead.com

Cases compiled from public lead-poisoning prevention archives, current circulation only (last 4 years). Educational reference, not medical or environmental-testing advice. Coverage percentages are family-level estimates.

The whole archive in five lines.

  1. 187 real cases, 4 years, 15 vector families. Every entry is a real call for help, organized A through O, every actual exposure pathway in current circulation. Most lead-source lists online stop at 15 to 20.
  2. 69% of the 187 are testable at home. Paint, dust, dishware, brass fittings, painted items, ceramics, jewelry, soil and painted toys glow green under 365 nm UV in 30 seconds. The other 31% need water testing, blood-lead, or environmental sampling.
  3. Built environment dominates the archive. Family A (paint, 25 cases) and Family E (pre-1986 plumbing and brass) account for the largest share. Pre-1978 US, pre-1970 AU housing is the default flag, pre-1950 amplifies it again.
  4. Second-hand and imported channels carry families G, H, I, K. Op-shop, thrift, swap-meet, garage-sale, eBay, plus imported labels from China, Mexico, India, route lead-glazed pottery, painted ceramics, jewelry, painted toys and folk remedies into new homes every year.
  5. 99% are preventable once you know they exist. Pre-1978 home plus a child under 6 or a pregnant adult flips a case from theoretical to clinical. Walk the home with the Full Kit, and use the lab-only assessment for water, food, ambient air, and biological vectors.
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