Healthy Homes & Gardens

Very small amounts of lead are known to cause serious long term health effects. Young children are particularly vulnerable to exposure from lead because of their hand to mouth activity and because they play in garden areas where lead can be in the soil. But: remember that ANYONE can be lead poisoned. The narrow one metre strip around the foundations of a home, shed or garage (often referred to as the drip zone) is usually where the most lead contaminated soil can be found.

Australian parents have been warned of the potential risks of giving children tap water after a study uncovered widespread lead contamination in household plumbing. More than half of tap water samples taken from households in NSW were found to contain lead, a study conducted by Macquarie University has revealed. 1 in 12 exceeded the maximum amount of lead permitted by Australian Drinking Water Guidelines. Plumbing and tap fittings have been identified as the major source of l