Adult Lead Poisoning
Adults can be exposed to lead dust or lead fumes through certain jobs or hobbies. They can also get exposed during renovation or remodeling activities in homes built before 1978. Staff in the NYS Health Department's Bureau of Occupational Health follow up with adults, if their blood lead test results are elevated, to help them identify sources of lead in their homes or workplaces that might have contributed to higher lead levels. If you think you have been exposed to lead, you should ask your doctor for a blood lead test.
Information for Contractors, Homeowners, Landlords, and Tenants
There are many ways to reduce the hazards of lead-based paint, but some methods may actually increase the risk of lead exposure for both adults and children. Learn more about how to do remodeling and renovation in a lead-safe way.
Information for Employers and Workers
Workers can be exposed to lead in some jobs because the work creates lead dust or fumes.
- Lead on the Job: A Guide for Workers (available in Spanish, Polish, Greek, and Portuguese)
- Lead on the Job: A Guide for Employers
- Lead Poisoning: Lead and Road Construction
- NYS Occupational Health Clinic Network
- Metal Recycling
- New York State Department of Transportation Lead Safety Bulletin
- Lead - National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
- Lead Safety and Health - U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration
- Health and Safety Issues for Indoor Firing Ranges (National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health)
Information for Health Care Providers
Information for Target Shooters and Hunters
People can be exposed to lead by eating venison and small game harvested with lead shot and lead bullets. People can also be exposed to lead when it is released into the air when a gun is fired, particularly in a shooting range. Most ammunition contains lead within the bullet and the primer. Lead particles are also formed as the lead bullet spirals through the barrel. These particles of lead can get into your body when you breathe or swallow, and lead dust can get on your food, cigarettes, or other items that you eat, drink, or put in your mouth.
For advice on how to reduce lead exposure and the risk of eating lead fragments from venison and other meat:
- Lead in Fishing Tackle and Bullets
- Lead in Venison
- Information about Lead in Venison for Hunters and Meat Processors (Department of Environmental Conservation)
If you have any questions regarding how to reduce the amount of lead in venison, please contact your Department of Environmental Conservation Regional Wildlife Office.
For questions about potential health effects from lead, call the Department of Health at 1-800-458-1158.
