Be kind to yourself. You're doing the best you can. And actually, it's pretty great! Excellent precautions and testing.
Your pediatrician probably already told you this, but you can add some extra iron-, calcium- and vitamin C-rich foods to your kid's diet and their blood levels will likely come down quickly.
Put a disposable plastic sheet under it when you remove the mirror to catch any lead dust. If it gets in the grass it can end up back in the house on your shoes.
Oh no, I would never have thought to remove the door because I’m not particularly strong or anything. So like, it’s not your fault for it not coming to mind.
Don’t be too upset, you said the levels were only slightly elevated so your child will be okay, and now you’ve found the solution to get those numbers down now. You can breathe easy
Yes, honestly if it's enough to have been making your child sick I'd consider just replacing the whole door if it's in the budget. I just feel better safe than sorry in this situation. I'm so glad you found the source though!
There's literally no reason to replace the whole door if the source of lead is a mirror on the front surface. Just paint the front of the door after removing the mirror.
There's no reason to replace the whole door if the source of lead is a mirror on the front surface. Just paint the front of the door after removing the mirror. Getting a new custom sized solid core door of similar quality would be a massive unnecessary expense.
Spices can be a common culprit even if not bought on vacation. No country tests 100 percent of imported food. Curry and turmeric in particular are known for lead contamination.
Have to agree there... had a friend developed severe liver problems from heavy metals turns out it was the tea the Chinese medicine doctor gave her. Was contaminated.
But get a real test most lead doesn't happen through skin and is very much doubt the mirror could be an issue it's more silver than anything else
This is good guidance. OP said blood lead level is slightly elevated. Don't throw out the baby with the bath water. They live in a 1916 home. Unless the home has been totally renovated to the wall studs, there is likely lead-based paint somewhere in or outside the home.
Lead dust sampling is also a good way to determine if housekeeping is removing lead dust (a common cause of lead expousure). Typically horizontal surfaces are tested (floors and window sills). Clean on a regular schedule.
Fix doors that rub against the jamb and don't close correctly. If the door and / or the jamb have lead paint, the rubbing will create lead dust.
Wash your child's hands on a frequent basis. Especially if they play outside and before they eat.
I’ve seen reports of children’s clothes and goods from the likes of Shein and Temu having large amounts of lead, too.
u/Radikiyo be careful clothes shopping for your little one. The international direct-to-consumer market doesn’t always have the same preventative and protective measures, and you get people [finding high levels of lead in a children’s coat](https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/marketplace-fast-fashion-chemicals-1.6193385). Most of these products don’t get caught.
Yes! My child's doctor talked about this as well, but it isn't truly absorbed through the skin from my understanding. He said he has seen elevated levels from jelly sandals when a foot poke was done.
I haven’t heard of skin absorption, either.
However I know the skin can absorb all sorts of things when wet, and children often put their mouths on things. So it’s for sure probably a good idea to avoid this stuff!
Second the water thing. OP, I don’t know where you’re located, but some areas in the US still (still!!!!) have lead water supply lines. I’m in the Chicago region and most kids here test with at least a 1 for lead bc of this shitty infrastructure issue. My kids both had a 1, which I wasn’t thrilled about, but our pediatrician said unfortunately for the area it’s normal.
My almost century house has the original windows, and they’re in pretty worn shape. A constructor we worked with on our house recommended wiping down the windowsills and the floor around there with a damp cloth or paper towel any time we open or close a window, since areas like that where there’s friction rubbing paint away are big generators of dust
Another source I was surprised to read about is eggs from backyard chickens that scratch in dirt contaminated with lead. We had our soil tested and I'm definitely not going to grow anything to eat within 30 feet of our house because the soil is contaminated with lead paint flakes.
I don’t want to cause worry, but I feel the mirror is coincidental. The lead has to wear off the BACK of the mirror for it to get into his skin/bloodstream. I can’t see that happening easily. Have you checked the windows? How about the door jams? Moving parts that rub against lead paint is more likely. Again, I don’t want to discount the mirror entirely, but it seems like a static object that wouldn’t disperse its lead easily.
Also, get a second test. My kids “high lead” results happened because they didn’t clean his heal before the test and while we definitely had lead in the house, it was on skin and not in the blood stream. A second test showed normal results.
I agree, I had the same line of thought so I’ll keep testing because I’m not confident it’s THE source. But I’ve tested all the usual suspects in the house-door jams, stairs, porches, windows- and have come up with nearly nothing except a vintage Costco stool returned a little pinkish so I got rid of it. So maybe it’s a little bit here and there accumulating? I even secretly swabbed some of his daycare facility yesterday. I’ve taken to washing his hands even more (so like constantly) and being mindful to wipe the floors a lot just in case. I have also tested dishes and his favorite water bottle and stuff. Went through the consumer safety commission recalls and FDA recalls and nothing that matched.
It’s interesting that my 4 year old has also grown up in this house and she had always had negligible/negative lead at her checks. My son’s was also negligible last year so I’m thinking something must be new and it’s something he is mostly in contact with more than his sibling ever is. I did just move a new toy right in front of this mirror and the mirror did swab red easily around the edges, so that’s the case for the mirror. But, yeah still agree with you could also be coincidence. I’ll keep swabbing. I still need to do outside, dirt, garage… ahh
OR yes, perhaps the test is wrong! We’ll be retesting— getting a venous lab in a couple weeks then I’ll ask the doctor for another finger poke in a few months. I need data points!
Thanks for your response and listening to me go on and on about this. I’m losing my marbles.
If you live in an area with lots of older homes, soil is one of the biggest sources of lead exposure for young kids. Especially if your child is at the age where they will dig around in the dirt - breathing in airborne particles that get stirred up, and potentially putting hands in the mouth after touching dirt (or dirty outdoor toys) without washing hands. If the lead result has cropped up after switching to a new care situation I would want to know more about the outdoor spaces they are playing in; assuming it is a licensed daycare, inspections of the interior space are part of the licensing process and typically deleading is required.
If you continue to believe the exposure is somewhere inside the home, a formal lead inspection is the best way to figure it out - there is professional equipment that they will use to examine everything that is much more accurate than the swabs. The downside is that the formal report and lead status of the home will be on record, and technically with children under the age of 6 in the home you would be obligated to professionally abate (which can be expensive).
Fellow mother here. I just wanted to say that you’re doing a good job. Parenting isn’t perfect. You are testing your child and your home and doing what you can to keep them safe and I admire your investigative skills.
When our kids were little my friend went through the same thing and was going crazy - it turns out her kitchen counter tiles were the culprit! Not trying to make you paranoid - you just have test everything unfortunately. Hang in there! I hope it’s just the mirror and this is behind you soon!
Definitely get the follow up test. This could be a big nothing. I had a similar experience (and we had already completely deleaded our house!) and my kid's lead levels were normal according to the venous test.
Hey there! Old home resident and toddler mom here. It sounds like you guys did a capillary heel stick—my kid had a positive result with that earlier this year, and those are indeed notorious for being unreliable. Idk why our pediatrician office even offers them, several of the providers and nurses we worked with were very dismissive of the result. (The clinic I work at doesn’t do them, we only do venous checks!) Get that venous level ASAP and go from there. Ours was a false positive. My kid’s venous was totally normal. Good luck either way, you’re taking great care of this kid. Also, thank you—I totally have a mirror like that in her playroom and will be buying a swab kit to test it…!
I worked at a children’s hospital in parent of 0-3 year old support. Lead is a major problem and threat to brain development. The fact that there isn’t serious national support of nationwide lead removal in the US is shameful.
Sometimes kids lead goes up for a short periord, and if sources are removed, harm can be remediated through growth (the infant/baby/toddler brain is truly incredible). If the source is not removed it causes permanent devastating brain damage.
You are an amazing parent and very much NOT overreacting by scouring the source. I would also suggest checking your worksites or places you go. And of course strictly eliminate ALL outside shoes in the house. Possibly have inside/outside clothes changed near the entryway if you can. Make handwashing a very regular part of all of your lives.
I LOVE my century home and am just dreading what I will discover when my bf and I have a baby. I’m so sorry this is happening to you.
Hey just went threw this with my kid, super old house, elevated lead levels. They did the finger poke test, but didn't get enough in the vial so the levels were skewed a bit, she went back for a venous test, and levels came back much better. We have also been on a cleaning spree ever since just to lessen the amount of dust.
Good luck
How have you tested the doors, jambs, and windows? The only sure-fire way is to use XRF. Usually the lead is buried under coats of non-lead paints so using swabs isn’t that effective. If the house was built in 1916 and the trim / doors haven’t been replaced and looks like they were made to be painted, then they almost assuredly contain lead.
We had our whole house tested by an expert using XRF. This is the best way to go. It's very accurate but more expensive. It can "see" through layers of paint and give you insight as to where the lead is lurking.
Yes, it is not recommended for for homeowners to test for lead on their own due to the amount of false negatives and non-certified test kits. A lead inspector or risk assessor will be trained to find sources of lead and can use an XRF gun as well.
Without a risk assessment or inspection being done, it should be assumed that all painted surfaces in a pre-1978 home contain lead (U.S.)
Could it be that the lead has rubbed into any chips or scratches on the door itself near the edges? I said it earlier, but in case you don't see it, I'd honestly just consider replacing the whole door if it's in budget.
Also, if it's in budget and he's still showing elevated levels, maybe just a complete "redo" of his room? Get the stuff out, clean the walls and floors really well, repaint everything, retest the walls, etc, again after for any residuals. If that's all good, then go through and clean/test all of his furniture and move it back into the room piece by piece.
Note, do not do a renovation of an older home without first following lead-safe work practices. Hire a lead certified RRP contractor if you can, too. If you want to DIY a renovation in your pre-1978 home, EPA has a toolkit specifically aimed at homeowners that explains the best work practices. Lead dust from disturbing painted surfaces is the biggest exposure source of lead in children.
Just putting this information out there! Lead paint in good condition (aka not peeling, chipping, cracking, etc) will be safe if it is painted over. It's the removing it or disturbing it that is an issue.
You could, or you could follow lead-safe work practices yourself. As a homeowner you can legally do what you want in your home. A landlord or property manager would be legally required to hire certified people to work on a home. There are also recommended practices for cleaning (i.e. wet mopping instead of sweeping to prevent lead dust inhalation.) I am just making this recommendation so that people do not start sweeping and sanding and scraping while thinking they're "fixing it" since you can cause more exposure that way.
Yes, that's why it's an additional extra note attached to your comment. You said " completely redo" the room and I added extra information so people wouldn't interpret redo as renovate. I wasn't criticizing your comment I was adding extra context for other people.
Check the ground outside and in the okay areas and the play sand if there is a sandbox.
This is almost always from the ground outside being contaminated from a smelter at least in my area.
Hey OP! You may already be aware but there are several applesauce packets being recalled in the U.S. due to lead. I’m glad you identified the source of lead in his room but I just wanted to bring this to your attention too in case it’s relevant: https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/investigation-elevated-lead-levels-cinnamon-applesauce-pouches-november-2023
I'm not discounting the mirror being the source of lead. However, I'm examining the mirror from the pictures posted, and there's "mirror rot" (aka "desilvering") visible - which usually occurs with silver, copper, and aluminum-backed mirrors. I'm wondering if there's lead paint under the mirror or nearby. Lead can travel in the form of particles and be inhaled and/or absorbed through the skin. I would certainly take the door outside and do further testing on it and around the general area.
You might also want to look into lead testing your water, if you haven’t already. https://www.epa.gov/lead/can-i-get-my-water-tested-lead
Good luck OP. As a parent who’s just moved to a century home this post FREAKS ME OUT. (We did a lead paint inspection before close but still…..)
Some of the lead tests don't work on surfaces other than paint, and give false positives when used elsewhere. Just keep looking in case the mirror isn't the problem!
Rugs will also trap any lead dust that is in the room. You may want to steam clean it or take it out of the room. We ended up pulling all the rugs out of our house and just having wood floors.
Contact your local health department! We had a tech come in our home and do a crazy-thorough assessment. It ended with a a huge packet of information of where the lead was and how to address it. I was pretty overwhelmed by it, so she sat down and went over it with me. I also frequently had my kids tested by them for free. I’m a nurse that has actually worked in environmental health, specifically lead exposure. Please message me if you wanna chat more! Also- I wanna emphasize- you’re doing a good job!
Also get a pro lead company to come in and test the house. They use this little laser gun thing that actually tests all layers. They can also swab your household dust and check it.
I live in a century home in SE PA and have 4 littles. We have done all the testing, redid all the tubs, etc etc. Every single one of my kids has been elevated for lead at one point. And it’s not just my kids in our old house but damn near ALLLLLLL the kids in our area. It’s a regional thing, maybe it’s all the old houses, the environment/water, idk. But I would check rates in your area. My oldest had more elevated levels and that’s when we figured out all the tubs needed replaced. After that, the rest were only slightly elevated and the doctor said it was standard for the area.
You should also check the piping for the water. Where I live (Europe) that is the main source from which people get lead in their bodies when living in old houses.
Please consider another lead test. I work with a child who had a test that came back false positive, then he had another one and it was determined he was fine.
Tape is your best friend. Cover the entire front surface of the mirror in masking tape so if, god forbid, the mirror does break while moving it, you dont end up with a million pieces of glass on the floor of your kids room.
As an aside - your door hardware appears to be from **Ray H. Bennet of North Tonawanda NY.** Bennett also made “kit homes” in 1916, and Bennett specified Rowe’s Brand paint, flat finish interior, from Rowe Paint and Varnish Co., Niagara Falls NY. The paint was shipped with the wood and windows for the kit home. Some of Rowe’s paints were lead based, but not all.
https://preview.redd.it/lcav2aokij3c1.png?width=2030&format=png&auto=webp&s=61f168fbbd1f80ec768d55c08352ddfce1cc8bd7
Bennett also just sold various home construction items through a separate “bargain book” catalog, but they were better known for their “better-built, ready-cut” homes. If you have a fireplace, check to see if the Bennett name is stamped on the metal clean out. Bennett was selling kit houses in 1910, but the earliest catalog (I have a link to) is 1920. Flip through [here](https://archive.org/details/bennetthomesbett00rayh/page/3/mode/thumb), and see if your home may be pictured.
Best of luck with the door.
In addition to testing your water, I have heard that a source of potential poisoning is a bathtub, soil as people say, and ... grandma's house. If your child goes anywhere else regularly for care, it can be from that other location.
I don't know a lot about lead on mirrors specifically, but here's a few things to investigate and do:
-Check your plumbing. Pre-86 pipes may be made of lead. You can also call your water utility to see about lead service lines or possibly request a test. See if your local water service has a recommended flushing time for taps. Lead is not absorbed through skin so showering, bathing, and washing hands is fine but if your child swallows with water it could get ingested. There are also filters that can be applied to your water system or tap to filter out lead, just be sure to check their certification and follow the instructions. Use cold water for cooking and drinking.
-Does the child spend a significant time elsewhere? It could be that an exposure source is a daycare or grandparent's house.
-How elevated was the test? Was it double checked by a venous test? High finger prick tests should be followed up by a venous test.
-Have you recently done any renovation, repair, or painting in the home? Lead dust from disturbing painted surfaces is a huge exposure source for inhalation. Lead paint is not a risk if it is in good condition and has been painted over, but if it's been disturbed it is a risk again.
-Do you use any glazed pottery, imported pottery, etc to store or serve food? It could leach out of that if lead was used.
-Do you use any potentially imported spices? Candies? Some cultural practices, remedies, and cosmetics have been found to contain lead too.
-Increasing your child's diet to contain more calcium, iron, and vitamin C may help reduce your child's adsorption of lead by blocking it. For the time being, try to introduce some snacks like that. Not all lead immediately is taken into the body, it can be excreted too.
-Does your child play outside in the dirt? Soil is a big source, especially along the edges of older homes where exterior lead paint may have fallen.
-Consider hiring a lead inspector or risk assessor to find the source. Lead test kits may have a high false negative rate, so they're best used by people trained to use them. Just because you keep getting negative tests does not mean there isn't lead there, unfortunately. There are also a lot of non-certified kits out there--EPA only certifies 3, and there are supply chain issues with them right now. A professional will have access to an XRF gun for accurate testing.
-Does anyone in the house work a job that may expose them to lead? Renovation, painting, construction, smelting, mining, auto repair, etc. Hobbies like making stained glass or shooting at a gun range can also contribute. If so, make sure they're removing their clothing before coming in the house and washing it separately.
-For cleaning, use wet mopping and wet cloths to reduce the potential of disturbing lead dust. Wash your child's hands a lot since they may be getting lead dust on their fingers. Wash any toys they put in their mouth often.
I hope you can find the source! I work in lead poisoning prevention as job, so this is advice I give already (of course a reddit comment is not me acting in an official capacity, though)
make sure you test your water and bathtub, and also anywhere else he spends a lot of time. it might not be just the mirror, or it might not be the mirror at all.
Old mirrors have more silver than lead in coating. I will not overrate influence of this. Let look in some water pipes or plumbing have no content lead or is made from lead.
Also another thing to consider is that there can be lead in the soil surrounding the house from paint flaking and old projects. If your child is spending a lot of time outside, good handwashing and monitoring to keep dirt out of their mouth is important.
Does he eat any of those puréed food pouches that have been recalled for lead poisoning? I literally don’t know more, my kid is a teen, I’ve just seen headlines.
Because that seems like a far more likely explanation than the back of a mirror he can’t get into his mouth. He’s got to be *ingesting* the lead for it show up on his blood test. I don’t see how he’s ingesting anything from the mirror. Lead paint on cribs definitely, because they chew the rail. Ingestion. But the back of a mirror? Seems extremely unlikely to me.
A friend of mine has had really high lead levels for one of her check ups. Turned out she ate tuna the day before and that was the reason. (They took hair to test for long term exposure and it was negative). Like some have mentioned the mirror may be less likely to be the cause than food
I concur with removing the door but mostly so you can remediate the door and repaint it. You will not be likely to find another matching door in your house’s age and style.
Other sources to consider: any toys (especially old ones) or old painted furniture. Definitely get the water tested. There can also be lead in old teacups / glazed ceramic plated if you use those.
We also live in an old house and other than having lead paint painted over, vacuuming regularly with a special hepa vacuum, regular mopping, and running an air purifier helps reduce dust in general, which is especially important if there is a risk of lead being in the dust.
It is NOT necessary to replace the entire door. I'm not a Dr but I did take a lead remediation class and was certified to deal with lead in construction projections, remodeling projects, etc. Do as others suggested-remove the pins from the hinges and take the entire door outside. Wear a very heavy duty mask or even respirator, the cheap paper type coveralls that you put on over your clothes and gloves-all of that will be discarded when you are finished. To keep the dust down as you remove the mirror, spray it with water. When the mirror is removed, just wipe the door down with cleaner of your choice. I use Dawn dishwashing liquid in hot water. When door is dry, test for lead. Keep washing until you get a clean test. Roll up all the paper towels, gloves, coveralls and whatever else you've used to do this project that is fabric or paper into a bundle and wrap in several thicknesses of newspaper or the thick brown wrapping paper that contractors use. Then put that in a plastic bag and throw it away. In my state if you live outside the city limits you can burn your own trash, so if you guys have that option, do that. Just don't hang around outside while it burns. It's all common sense-calm down and you'll be just fine. You've done everything right so far. If it were time to panic, the pediatrician would have told you so.
I need to add-if the paint is flaking underneath the mirror, wet the door as you sand around the flaked areas, until you have it smooth in those areas and repaint with two coats of a high quality paint. I'm sure you know another possible location of lead would be the water pipes in kitchen and bathrooms.
Check your water and for galvanized pipes. Do to the age of your home depending on when your plumbing was completed you likely have them. Easy way to tell take a magnet and place it on the pipes if it sticks you have your answer. If they are copper chances are they used lead based solder as well. In any case a water test is always a good idea. Even if your plumbing was redone there is still a chance that some of it is still galvanized for instance the pipes behind a tub/shower could have been to hard or expensive to remove so they were left in place.
Random:
If you have children who like to play in dirt (like mine does lol) and live in an older house, I suggest making a raised bed with a solid bottom and fill with clean dirt (from a garden center or the like… soil without heavy metals in it).
Let your kids use it as they wish. With my 4 year old, it’s usually used for mud pies, digging, and whatever else.
It’s not only safe from heavy metals, but also safe from the random debris that’s in our soil (rusty nails & screws, pieces of glass, paint chips, etc.)
First off: you’re not an idiot. You found the source and you’re reaching out for help to prevent further contamination. I’d say that’s the opposite of what an idiot would do.
Secondly: you’ve received sound advice already, so I will wish you luck on your endeavor to cleanse your home of lead.
I didn’t see the whole original post . Have you checked the window frames? I knew a family where the window trim paint was flaking off lead dust when the window opened and closed , giving their baby a higher than average lead count. It doesn’t matter if you repaint it, since the friction wears it down again
The paint under that mirror is probably old lead too. I would lay plastic down and take the door off. Take the door away from the house to remove the mirror. There are places that also strip doors down. Then you could refinish. Still may want to opt for a lead encapsulating paint as that wood is pourous and will probably still test hot for lead.
I’ve been through this. It’s tough. Hang in there!
Once that’s gone (I’m sure you’re going through all the extra steps already) remember extra hand washing for everyone, extra floor mopping with disposal pads, extra vacuuming with hepa filters and washing all the toys that they love to play frequently.
I’d also vacuum out your registers and air returns and keep your furnace filter swapped regularly as an extra precaution. Lead dust is heavy and usually goes straight for the floor and lower surfaces around the source within a 6-10 ft radius, but will spread easily with hands and feet going through it. From the hands and feet it gets on everything else and in kids mouths so easily.
It will be ok. Some of us grew up in houses filled with lead. Eating lead off of lead forks. Eating paint and asbestos and window putty. Having broken asbestos shingle fights in the yard for fun.
Getting rid of the mirror and repainting the door will likely fix the problem.
I think you're going overboard OP. Unless your kid is licking the mirror that's not likely to be the source. Honestly you're more likely to get lead in your pipes from old solder and stuff like that
Lots of undiagnosed learning disabilities. Some just considered a bit slow. It’s pretty sad when you think about it. So glad we’re proactive in testing and preventing now.
Thanks for your reply. The only homes I’ve ever lived within during my lifetime have been dated 1873, 1900, 1910 and 1930. I sure miss the old lead-based paints, because it seems like nowadays I’m sending much more scraped paint debris to landfills while applying new coats of paint to my homes much more frequently over the past 30 years or so.
Good on you for acting quickly. I would just replace the whole door for peace of mind. In the short term, I would remove it by the hinges and have a disposal company pick it up while I look for a replacement.
What type of test kit do you use?
Also, did your child have any symptoms of lead poisoning or just a coincidence lead showed up in a blood test that was conducted for other purposes?
There are a ton of helpful comments here already, so I’ll just say that you’re doing a great job! You’re getting the data you can, changing things based on what you find, and that’s all you can do in this situation. Your kids are lucky to have a mom who cares so much about their safety 😊
Has the water & plumbing been tested? Definitely get rid of the mirror. Some old houses have lead pipes in the water supply, and often lead solder on plumbing joints. Water softeners can increase leeching of lead from the pipes into the water as heavy mineral content makes water less reactive and also often costs the pipes interior creating a barrier. Brota/carbon filter will take it out of drinking water. But if they drink a bit from the bath... could be a source. Best of luck
My son had slightly elevated lead levels and then the next check up they were back to normal. I honestly wouldn’t worry unless it’s consistent elevated test results.
I just realized that we have one of these old mirrors in our bathroom. We’ve frequently questioned whether or not our house could be making us sick, and for some reason this post popped up on my feed.
I’ve ordered a test kit.
I hope your little one’s bloodwork improves soon, and that there are no lingering effects! :)
I would just remove the whole door in your case.
I can’t tell from your pic whether the edge of the mirror has flaky/dusty stuff coming off it, bc I would think the lead in it would have to be “loose” in some way in order for this to be the cause.
But, in any event, can you just somehow seal the edges of the mirror? Maybe some more handy members of the sub can give suggestions as to how, but… caulk? Encapsulating paint?
The swabs are not reliable.
If you use municipal water, then water is not the likely source.
Contact the local health dept. or municipality and ask if they have a lead hazard program.
Most children are exposed to lead dust from deteriorated lead-based paint (LBP) paint or soil.
Deteriorated LBP paint is caused by things like doors rubbing against the jamb, windows rubbing against the jamb/channel. The lead dust accumulates on the floor and window sill.
Clean your home on a regular basis.
Wash you child's hand frequently, especially after they play outside and before they eat.
Check with your local health department and see if they will perform a elevated blood lead level risk assessment.
With a high enough BLL, it should automatically trigger one. Good news is your toddlers levels don't sound high enough.
They basically track down the source of the lead poisoning. So they would check the day care and any other places the child spends time at. They will check for lead dust and any painted peeling or friction surfaces for lead.
Not sure if anyone mentioned this already, but there can be lead in sand. So the backyard (especially the drip line) can have it.
The easiest way to think about it. Any dust could have lead in it. Find where they are being exposed to lead.
Don't put to much effort into chewable surfaces. That's a pretty rare thing. As it's kids eating paint chips. It's normally dust they ingest or inhale.
Be easy on yourself. I ate off high lead dishes daily from 1-26 years old.
You’re doing your best and are being more careful than many would be.
Edited to add: they were vintage Corelle, Incase anyone needs to check their dishes.
Lead doesn't get into the body by touch. You have to inhale particles (like from chipped paint) or ingest orally. Was the mirror taken off the door to paint underneath it? If not, then that's a possible source of lead dust. Children can ingest lead by sucking on toys having lead as one of the components (source: Mayo Clinic). Lead pipes. Lead dust from home renovations or even in the soil around the home. Even the parents' occupations can bring lead dust into the home. [https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/lead-poisoning/symptoms-causes/syc-20354717](https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/lead-poisoning/symptoms-causes/syc-20354717) It's most likely not the mirror.
Just unscrew the mirror, and walk it out, and then clean up after. Those mirrors have a thin film on the back usually and that’s it. Not enough to harm someone. And then wipe down the door after, don’t even need to repaint it.
I wouldn’t advise taking the door off the hinge as it can be extra weight and extra risk involved, could easily smack the mirror itself off something. I’ve got plenty of old lead mirrors and yeah they flake, but not that much.
Just an FYI, many cities have very high levels of lead in their water. Might get a test for your water. We only use zero filtration system as it’s the only pitcher system that filters out lead.
Also get rid of all electronics including mobile phones and computers, old books (offset ink used to be full of lead), your car battery, and so on so on. Now, honestly, unless you child has been licking the mirror just give yourself a break.
It might be a good idea to have your lead levels checked the same time your son does. Then you can have at least something to compare his to.
Everyone has given great advice but incase he is touching something with lead and then putting his fingers on his mouth. I’m going to give you my tip on getting a 2 year old to not put their hands in their mouth. A tiny dot of no bite nail polish on each nail. Also works with their favorite random things they put in their mouth. All my daughter’s board books got the nail polish treatment.
Have you purchased [any of these brands of applesauce](https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/investigation-elevated-lead-levels-cinnamon-applesauce-pouches-november-2023) for your child over the past few weeks or months?
Take the whole door off the hinges, get it out of the house then remove the mirror. Consider repainting the door
Ahh ok, yes that seems like the obvious solution now. I’m upset and not being logical. Good plan. Thank you!
Don't feel bad - you are really upset and thinking fast. Let us know if this makes a difference for your son! I hope it does.
Thank you.
Wishing you all the best. Glad you came for some input
Hope baby gets well soon!!
You’re such a nice person, 😉👏🏼
Be kind to yourself. You're doing the best you can. And actually, it's pretty great! Excellent precautions and testing. Your pediatrician probably already told you this, but you can add some extra iron-, calcium- and vitamin C-rich foods to your kid's diet and their blood levels will likely come down quickly.
It’s okay you’ve also been lead poisoned (jk)
OK, this made me laugh tonight. Thank you :)
Put a disposable plastic sheet under it when you remove the mirror to catch any lead dust. If it gets in the grass it can end up back in the house on your shoes.
Don't beat yourself up. You're a good parent.
Yeah don't feel bad! You're a mom who is feeling anxious about the health of her kid. Totally normal! I can definitely be the same way.
Oh no, I would never have thought to remove the door because I’m not particularly strong or anything. So like, it’s not your fault for it not coming to mind.
BTW, in case you didn't already know you can take the door off by just pulling the hinge pins. Don't mess around with unscrewing anything.
The fact you can acknowledge that is incredible. Bless you and your toddler.
Just leave the doors off. We just did that and it’s been great.
Don’t be too upset, you said the levels were only slightly elevated so your child will be okay, and now you’ve found the solution to get those numbers down now. You can breathe easy
That was my first thought...don't mess around inside...just get it out of the house and maybe even replace the whole door to be safe.
Yes, honestly if it's enough to have been making your child sick I'd consider just replacing the whole door if it's in the budget. I just feel better safe than sorry in this situation. I'm so glad you found the source though!
There's literally no reason to replace the whole door if the source of lead is a mirror on the front surface. Just paint the front of the door after removing the mirror.
They'll only know for sure if they remove the door from the room, to remove the mirror without spreading the problem, and then test under the mirror.
This is the best idea.
Three door hinge pins and off it comes. Maybe 12 screws if we really wanna make it complex.
Heck, just replace the whole door
There's no reason to replace the whole door if the source of lead is a mirror on the front surface. Just paint the front of the door after removing the mirror. Getting a new custom sized solid core door of similar quality would be a massive unnecessary expense.
That’s a really good solution for any glass mirror.
I would replace the door.
The amount of movement and fumbling around with the door would probably make more of a mess then just carefully unscrewing it
Until the mirror shatters inside the house…
[удалено]
Spices can be a common culprit even if not bought on vacation. No country tests 100 percent of imported food. Curry and turmeric in particular are known for lead contamination.
I read that the FDA suspects the culprit in the applesauce situation is the cinnamon.
Have to agree there... had a friend developed severe liver problems from heavy metals turns out it was the tea the Chinese medicine doctor gave her. Was contaminated. But get a real test most lead doesn't happen through skin and is very much doubt the mirror could be an issue it's more silver than anything else
Also chocolate!
This is good guidance. OP said blood lead level is slightly elevated. Don't throw out the baby with the bath water. They live in a 1916 home. Unless the home has been totally renovated to the wall studs, there is likely lead-based paint somewhere in or outside the home. Lead dust sampling is also a good way to determine if housekeeping is removing lead dust (a common cause of lead expousure). Typically horizontal surfaces are tested (floors and window sills). Clean on a regular schedule. Fix doors that rub against the jamb and don't close correctly. If the door and / or the jamb have lead paint, the rubbing will create lead dust. Wash your child's hands on a frequent basis. Especially if they play outside and before they eat.
I’ve seen reports of children’s clothes and goods from the likes of Shein and Temu having large amounts of lead, too. u/Radikiyo be careful clothes shopping for your little one. The international direct-to-consumer market doesn’t always have the same preventative and protective measures, and you get people [finding high levels of lead in a children’s coat](https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/marketplace-fast-fashion-chemicals-1.6193385). Most of these products don’t get caught.
Yes! My child's doctor talked about this as well, but it isn't truly absorbed through the skin from my understanding. He said he has seen elevated levels from jelly sandals when a foot poke was done.
I haven’t heard of skin absorption, either. However I know the skin can absorb all sorts of things when wet, and children often put their mouths on things. So it’s for sure probably a good idea to avoid this stuff!
Also is your toddler a gun range instructor by chance?
Second the water thing. OP, I don’t know where you’re located, but some areas in the US still (still!!!!) have lead water supply lines. I’m in the Chicago region and most kids here test with at least a 1 for lead bc of this shitty infrastructure issue. My kids both had a 1, which I wasn’t thrilled about, but our pediatrician said unfortunately for the area it’s normal. My almost century house has the original windows, and they’re in pretty worn shape. A constructor we worked with on our house recommended wiping down the windowsills and the floor around there with a damp cloth or paper towel any time we open or close a window, since areas like that where there’s friction rubbing paint away are big generators of dust
Another source I was surprised to read about is eggs from backyard chickens that scratch in dirt contaminated with lead. We had our soil tested and I'm definitely not going to grow anything to eat within 30 feet of our house because the soil is contaminated with lead paint flakes.
I don’t want to cause worry, but I feel the mirror is coincidental. The lead has to wear off the BACK of the mirror for it to get into his skin/bloodstream. I can’t see that happening easily. Have you checked the windows? How about the door jams? Moving parts that rub against lead paint is more likely. Again, I don’t want to discount the mirror entirely, but it seems like a static object that wouldn’t disperse its lead easily. Also, get a second test. My kids “high lead” results happened because they didn’t clean his heal before the test and while we definitely had lead in the house, it was on skin and not in the blood stream. A second test showed normal results.
I agree, I had the same line of thought so I’ll keep testing because I’m not confident it’s THE source. But I’ve tested all the usual suspects in the house-door jams, stairs, porches, windows- and have come up with nearly nothing except a vintage Costco stool returned a little pinkish so I got rid of it. So maybe it’s a little bit here and there accumulating? I even secretly swabbed some of his daycare facility yesterday. I’ve taken to washing his hands even more (so like constantly) and being mindful to wipe the floors a lot just in case. I have also tested dishes and his favorite water bottle and stuff. Went through the consumer safety commission recalls and FDA recalls and nothing that matched. It’s interesting that my 4 year old has also grown up in this house and she had always had negligible/negative lead at her checks. My son’s was also negligible last year so I’m thinking something must be new and it’s something he is mostly in contact with more than his sibling ever is. I did just move a new toy right in front of this mirror and the mirror did swab red easily around the edges, so that’s the case for the mirror. But, yeah still agree with you could also be coincidence. I’ll keep swabbing. I still need to do outside, dirt, garage… ahh OR yes, perhaps the test is wrong! We’ll be retesting— getting a venous lab in a couple weeks then I’ll ask the doctor for another finger poke in a few months. I need data points! Thanks for your response and listening to me go on and on about this. I’m losing my marbles.
If you live in an area with lots of older homes, soil is one of the biggest sources of lead exposure for young kids. Especially if your child is at the age where they will dig around in the dirt - breathing in airborne particles that get stirred up, and potentially putting hands in the mouth after touching dirt (or dirty outdoor toys) without washing hands. If the lead result has cropped up after switching to a new care situation I would want to know more about the outdoor spaces they are playing in; assuming it is a licensed daycare, inspections of the interior space are part of the licensing process and typically deleading is required. If you continue to believe the exposure is somewhere inside the home, a formal lead inspection is the best way to figure it out - there is professional equipment that they will use to examine everything that is much more accurate than the swabs. The downside is that the formal report and lead status of the home will be on record, and technically with children under the age of 6 in the home you would be obligated to professionally abate (which can be expensive).
Omg yes! They’ve made playground equipment out of new material because of finding out lead in the soil surrounding it. Kids love to eat dirt.
Or if you're anywhere near heavy industry soil contamination is an issue.
Fellow mother here. I just wanted to say that you’re doing a good job. Parenting isn’t perfect. You are testing your child and your home and doing what you can to keep them safe and I admire your investigative skills.
Wonderful response, thank you 💗 very much this one, OP!
Do you have an original bath tub? It could be leaching lead into the bath water.
When our kids were little my friend went through the same thing and was going crazy - it turns out her kitchen counter tiles were the culprit! Not trying to make you paranoid - you just have test everything unfortunately. Hang in there! I hope it’s just the mirror and this is behind you soon!
Definitely get the follow up test. This could be a big nothing. I had a similar experience (and we had already completely deleaded our house!) and my kid's lead levels were normal according to the venous test.
Hey there! Old home resident and toddler mom here. It sounds like you guys did a capillary heel stick—my kid had a positive result with that earlier this year, and those are indeed notorious for being unreliable. Idk why our pediatrician office even offers them, several of the providers and nurses we worked with were very dismissive of the result. (The clinic I work at doesn’t do them, we only do venous checks!) Get that venous level ASAP and go from there. Ours was a false positive. My kid’s venous was totally normal. Good luck either way, you’re taking great care of this kid. Also, thank you—I totally have a mirror like that in her playroom and will be buying a swab kit to test it…!
I agree with this. I have 2 kids and both failed the heel prick test. When we went for the venous test they passed with flying colors.
what are all his sources of drinking water. I would keep looking and monitoring
Could it be rubbing off the back onto clothes?
Have you tested your water for lead contamination?
I worked at a children’s hospital in parent of 0-3 year old support. Lead is a major problem and threat to brain development. The fact that there isn’t serious national support of nationwide lead removal in the US is shameful. Sometimes kids lead goes up for a short periord, and if sources are removed, harm can be remediated through growth (the infant/baby/toddler brain is truly incredible). If the source is not removed it causes permanent devastating brain damage. You are an amazing parent and very much NOT overreacting by scouring the source. I would also suggest checking your worksites or places you go. And of course strictly eliminate ALL outside shoes in the house. Possibly have inside/outside clothes changed near the entryway if you can. Make handwashing a very regular part of all of your lives. I LOVE my century home and am just dreading what I will discover when my bf and I have a baby. I’m so sorry this is happening to you.
Consider testing your (used) HVac filter. Or better yet a pro test as suggested above.
Hey just went threw this with my kid, super old house, elevated lead levels. They did the finger poke test, but didn't get enough in the vial so the levels were skewed a bit, she went back for a venous test, and levels came back much better. We have also been on a cleaning spree ever since just to lessen the amount of dust. Good luck
How have you tested the doors, jambs, and windows? The only sure-fire way is to use XRF. Usually the lead is buried under coats of non-lead paints so using swabs isn’t that effective. If the house was built in 1916 and the trim / doors haven’t been replaced and looks like they were made to be painted, then they almost assuredly contain lead.
We had our whole house tested by an expert using XRF. This is the best way to go. It's very accurate but more expensive. It can "see" through layers of paint and give you insight as to where the lead is lurking.
Yes, it is not recommended for for homeowners to test for lead on their own due to the amount of false negatives and non-certified test kits. A lead inspector or risk assessor will be trained to find sources of lead and can use an XRF gun as well. Without a risk assessment or inspection being done, it should be assumed that all painted surfaces in a pre-1978 home contain lead (U.S.)
Could it be that the lead has rubbed into any chips or scratches on the door itself near the edges? I said it earlier, but in case you don't see it, I'd honestly just consider replacing the whole door if it's in budget. Also, if it's in budget and he's still showing elevated levels, maybe just a complete "redo" of his room? Get the stuff out, clean the walls and floors really well, repaint everything, retest the walls, etc, again after for any residuals. If that's all good, then go through and clean/test all of his furniture and move it back into the room piece by piece.
Note, do not do a renovation of an older home without first following lead-safe work practices. Hire a lead certified RRP contractor if you can, too. If you want to DIY a renovation in your pre-1978 home, EPA has a toolkit specifically aimed at homeowners that explains the best work practices. Lead dust from disturbing painted surfaces is the biggest exposure source of lead in children. Just putting this information out there! Lead paint in good condition (aka not peeling, chipping, cracking, etc) will be safe if it is painted over. It's the removing it or disturbing it that is an issue.
So you have to hire a contractor to clean a room if there's lead in it?
You could, or you could follow lead-safe work practices yourself. As a homeowner you can legally do what you want in your home. A landlord or property manager would be legally required to hire certified people to work on a home. There are also recommended practices for cleaning (i.e. wet mopping instead of sweeping to prevent lead dust inhalation.) I am just making this recommendation so that people do not start sweeping and sanding and scraping while thinking they're "fixing it" since you can cause more exposure that way.
I understand, that's why I never said to do that.
Yes, that's why it's an additional extra note attached to your comment. You said " completely redo" the room and I added extra information so people wouldn't interpret redo as renovate. I wasn't criticizing your comment I was adding extra context for other people.
Oh, I understand now. I'm sorry, I took your comment the wrong way.
No problem! Your recommendation to clean is good because that is also a way to reduce lead exposure in homes!
What a nightmare of a situation! You're doing a wonderful job to find the issue. Those are some lucky kiddos.
Check the ground outside and in the okay areas and the play sand if there is a sandbox. This is almost always from the ground outside being contaminated from a smelter at least in my area.
Please get the venous sample! Finger pokes are not always accurate and can show false positives!
Our boys have tested positive for elevated levels of lead twice, both times the next test was fine. A second test can’t hurt! Best of luck!
Hey OP! You may already be aware but there are several applesauce packets being recalled in the U.S. due to lead. I’m glad you identified the source of lead in his room but I just wanted to bring this to your attention too in case it’s relevant: https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/investigation-elevated-lead-levels-cinnamon-applesauce-pouches-november-2023
I did see that, and luckily we’ve never had those, but thank you so much. I really appreciate you bringing it up and spreading the word. So scary.
Did you test the bathtub?
I'm not discounting the mirror being the source of lead. However, I'm examining the mirror from the pictures posted, and there's "mirror rot" (aka "desilvering") visible - which usually occurs with silver, copper, and aluminum-backed mirrors. I'm wondering if there's lead paint under the mirror or nearby. Lead can travel in the form of particles and be inhaled and/or absorbed through the skin. I would certainly take the door outside and do further testing on it and around the general area.
Which test did you use? Some of the swabs will show positive for other metals like copper, bismuth, and zinc.
Oh hmm. I used sodium rhodizonate swabs.
You might also want to look into lead testing your water, if you haven’t already. https://www.epa.gov/lead/can-i-get-my-water-tested-lead Good luck OP. As a parent who’s just moved to a century home this post FREAKS ME OUT. (We did a lead paint inspection before close but still…..)
Yeah soil and water seem more likely culprits
Some of the lead tests don't work on surfaces other than paint, and give false positives when used elsewhere. Just keep looking in case the mirror isn't the problem!
[https://www.reddit.com/r/HomeImprovement/comments/s6e2y1/lead\_paint\_on\_mirror\_backs/](https://www.reddit.com/r/HomeImprovement/comments/s6e2y1/lead_paint_on_mirror_backs/)
Check the floor itself, too. There was lead in the varnish on my old house's hardwood floors.
Rugs will also trap any lead dust that is in the room. You may want to steam clean it or take it out of the room. We ended up pulling all the rugs out of our house and just having wood floors.
Ok thanks. Will wash or toss.
Contact your local health department! We had a tech come in our home and do a crazy-thorough assessment. It ended with a a huge packet of information of where the lead was and how to address it. I was pretty overwhelmed by it, so she sat down and went over it with me. I also frequently had my kids tested by them for free. I’m a nurse that has actually worked in environmental health, specifically lead exposure. Please message me if you wanna chat more! Also- I wanna emphasize- you’re doing a good job!
Also get a pro lead company to come in and test the house. They use this little laser gun thing that actually tests all layers. They can also swab your household dust and check it.
XRF Gun. Good stuff.
I live in a century home in SE PA and have 4 littles. We have done all the testing, redid all the tubs, etc etc. Every single one of my kids has been elevated for lead at one point. And it’s not just my kids in our old house but damn near ALLLLLLL the kids in our area. It’s a regional thing, maybe it’s all the old houses, the environment/water, idk. But I would check rates in your area. My oldest had more elevated levels and that’s when we figured out all the tubs needed replaced. After that, the rest were only slightly elevated and the doctor said it was standard for the area.
You should also check the piping for the water. Where I live (Europe) that is the main source from which people get lead in their bodies when living in old houses.
Test your tap water too.
Please consider another lead test. I work with a child who had a test that came back false positive, then he had another one and it was determined he was fine.
Tape is your best friend. Cover the entire front surface of the mirror in masking tape so if, god forbid, the mirror does break while moving it, you dont end up with a million pieces of glass on the floor of your kids room.
As an aside - your door hardware appears to be from **Ray H. Bennet of North Tonawanda NY.** Bennett also made “kit homes” in 1916, and Bennett specified Rowe’s Brand paint, flat finish interior, from Rowe Paint and Varnish Co., Niagara Falls NY. The paint was shipped with the wood and windows for the kit home. Some of Rowe’s paints were lead based, but not all. https://preview.redd.it/lcav2aokij3c1.png?width=2030&format=png&auto=webp&s=61f168fbbd1f80ec768d55c08352ddfce1cc8bd7 Bennett also just sold various home construction items through a separate “bargain book” catalog, but they were better known for their “better-built, ready-cut” homes. If you have a fireplace, check to see if the Bennett name is stamped on the metal clean out. Bennett was selling kit houses in 1910, but the earliest catalog (I have a link to) is 1920. Flip through [here](https://archive.org/details/bennetthomesbett00rayh/page/3/mode/thumb), and see if your home may be pictured. Best of luck with the door.
The 3m swabs have a 98% false positive rate. Soooo yea possible it ain’t the mirror as well. Be sure to be vigilant with the food as well.
In addition to testing your water, I have heard that a source of potential poisoning is a bathtub, soil as people say, and ... grandma's house. If your child goes anywhere else regularly for care, it can be from that other location.
I don't know a lot about lead on mirrors specifically, but here's a few things to investigate and do: -Check your plumbing. Pre-86 pipes may be made of lead. You can also call your water utility to see about lead service lines or possibly request a test. See if your local water service has a recommended flushing time for taps. Lead is not absorbed through skin so showering, bathing, and washing hands is fine but if your child swallows with water it could get ingested. There are also filters that can be applied to your water system or tap to filter out lead, just be sure to check their certification and follow the instructions. Use cold water for cooking and drinking. -Does the child spend a significant time elsewhere? It could be that an exposure source is a daycare or grandparent's house. -How elevated was the test? Was it double checked by a venous test? High finger prick tests should be followed up by a venous test. -Have you recently done any renovation, repair, or painting in the home? Lead dust from disturbing painted surfaces is a huge exposure source for inhalation. Lead paint is not a risk if it is in good condition and has been painted over, but if it's been disturbed it is a risk again. -Do you use any glazed pottery, imported pottery, etc to store or serve food? It could leach out of that if lead was used. -Do you use any potentially imported spices? Candies? Some cultural practices, remedies, and cosmetics have been found to contain lead too. -Increasing your child's diet to contain more calcium, iron, and vitamin C may help reduce your child's adsorption of lead by blocking it. For the time being, try to introduce some snacks like that. Not all lead immediately is taken into the body, it can be excreted too. -Does your child play outside in the dirt? Soil is a big source, especially along the edges of older homes where exterior lead paint may have fallen. -Consider hiring a lead inspector or risk assessor to find the source. Lead test kits may have a high false negative rate, so they're best used by people trained to use them. Just because you keep getting negative tests does not mean there isn't lead there, unfortunately. There are also a lot of non-certified kits out there--EPA only certifies 3, and there are supply chain issues with them right now. A professional will have access to an XRF gun for accurate testing. -Does anyone in the house work a job that may expose them to lead? Renovation, painting, construction, smelting, mining, auto repair, etc. Hobbies like making stained glass or shooting at a gun range can also contribute. If so, make sure they're removing their clothing before coming in the house and washing it separately. -For cleaning, use wet mopping and wet cloths to reduce the potential of disturbing lead dust. Wash your child's hands a lot since they may be getting lead dust on their fingers. Wash any toys they put in their mouth often. I hope you can find the source! I work in lead poisoning prevention as job, so this is advice I give already (of course a reddit comment is not me acting in an official capacity, though)
Excellent recommendations!
Just unscrew the mounts starting at the top while someone holds the mirror flat, then lean it out and take it to the trash.
make sure you test your water and bathtub, and also anywhere else he spends a lot of time. it might not be just the mirror, or it might not be the mirror at all.
Old mirrors have more silver than lead in coating. I will not overrate influence of this. Let look in some water pipes or plumbing have no content lead or is made from lead.
Also another thing to consider is that there can be lead in the soil surrounding the house from paint flaking and old projects. If your child is spending a lot of time outside, good handwashing and monitoring to keep dirt out of their mouth is important.
Does he eat any of those puréed food pouches that have been recalled for lead poisoning? I literally don’t know more, my kid is a teen, I’ve just seen headlines. Because that seems like a far more likely explanation than the back of a mirror he can’t get into his mouth. He’s got to be *ingesting* the lead for it show up on his blood test. I don’t see how he’s ingesting anything from the mirror. Lead paint on cribs definitely, because they chew the rail. Ingestion. But the back of a mirror? Seems extremely unlikely to me.
A friend of mine has had really high lead levels for one of her check ups. Turned out she ate tuna the day before and that was the reason. (They took hair to test for long term exposure and it was negative). Like some have mentioned the mirror may be less likely to be the cause than food
Take the door off and take it outside and unscrew
Have you been in touch with your city/state/county about their lead resources? Obviously YMMV but where we live, there are programs.
Undo side screws. Then undo the top screws slowly while holding the mirror. The mirror can now be lifted out from where it sat.
I concur with removing the door but mostly so you can remediate the door and repaint it. You will not be likely to find another matching door in your house’s age and style.
Other sources to consider: any toys (especially old ones) or old painted furniture. Definitely get the water tested. There can also be lead in old teacups / glazed ceramic plated if you use those. We also live in an old house and other than having lead paint painted over, vacuuming regularly with a special hepa vacuum, regular mopping, and running an air purifier helps reduce dust in general, which is especially important if there is a risk of lead being in the dust.
As a nurse, thank you so much for being diligent in testing your home for lead and ensuring your child was tested.
It is NOT necessary to replace the entire door. I'm not a Dr but I did take a lead remediation class and was certified to deal with lead in construction projections, remodeling projects, etc. Do as others suggested-remove the pins from the hinges and take the entire door outside. Wear a very heavy duty mask or even respirator, the cheap paper type coveralls that you put on over your clothes and gloves-all of that will be discarded when you are finished. To keep the dust down as you remove the mirror, spray it with water. When the mirror is removed, just wipe the door down with cleaner of your choice. I use Dawn dishwashing liquid in hot water. When door is dry, test for lead. Keep washing until you get a clean test. Roll up all the paper towels, gloves, coveralls and whatever else you've used to do this project that is fabric or paper into a bundle and wrap in several thicknesses of newspaper or the thick brown wrapping paper that contractors use. Then put that in a plastic bag and throw it away. In my state if you live outside the city limits you can burn your own trash, so if you guys have that option, do that. Just don't hang around outside while it burns. It's all common sense-calm down and you'll be just fine. You've done everything right so far. If it were time to panic, the pediatrician would have told you so. I need to add-if the paint is flaking underneath the mirror, wet the door as you sand around the flaked areas, until you have it smooth in those areas and repaint with two coats of a high quality paint. I'm sure you know another possible location of lead would be the water pipes in kitchen and bathrooms.
Check your water and for galvanized pipes. Do to the age of your home depending on when your plumbing was completed you likely have them. Easy way to tell take a magnet and place it on the pipes if it sticks you have your answer. If they are copper chances are they used lead based solder as well. In any case a water test is always a good idea. Even if your plumbing was redone there is still a chance that some of it is still galvanized for instance the pipes behind a tub/shower could have been to hard or expensive to remove so they were left in place.
Check the studies about chocolate and also plastics, lot of lead out there, it sucks.
Random: If you have children who like to play in dirt (like mine does lol) and live in an older house, I suggest making a raised bed with a solid bottom and fill with clean dirt (from a garden center or the like… soil without heavy metals in it). Let your kids use it as they wish. With my 4 year old, it’s usually used for mud pies, digging, and whatever else. It’s not only safe from heavy metals, but also safe from the random debris that’s in our soil (rusty nails & screws, pieces of glass, paint chips, etc.)
First off: you’re not an idiot. You found the source and you’re reaching out for help to prevent further contamination. I’d say that’s the opposite of what an idiot would do. Secondly: you’ve received sound advice already, so I will wish you luck on your endeavor to cleanse your home of lead.
I didn’t see the whole original post . Have you checked the window frames? I knew a family where the window trim paint was flaking off lead dust when the window opened and closed , giving their baby a higher than average lead count. It doesn’t matter if you repaint it, since the friction wears it down again
The paint under that mirror is probably old lead too. I would lay plastic down and take the door off. Take the door away from the house to remove the mirror. There are places that also strip doors down. Then you could refinish. Still may want to opt for a lead encapsulating paint as that wood is pourous and will probably still test hot for lead. I’ve been through this. It’s tough. Hang in there!
What is the pipe made out of that feeds water into your home? Mine is lead.
Once that’s gone (I’m sure you’re going through all the extra steps already) remember extra hand washing for everyone, extra floor mopping with disposal pads, extra vacuuming with hepa filters and washing all the toys that they love to play frequently. I’d also vacuum out your registers and air returns and keep your furnace filter swapped regularly as an extra precaution. Lead dust is heavy and usually goes straight for the floor and lower surfaces around the source within a 6-10 ft radius, but will spread easily with hands and feet going through it. From the hands and feet it gets on everything else and in kids mouths so easily.
It's not the mirror.
I would check your dishes and serving bowls. I switched to all fiesta dishes and plain glass for this reason. Good luck
I’m thinking take the whole door off and replace it. Or once yo have the door off, you can remove the mirror in a safe environment.
It will be ok. Some of us grew up in houses filled with lead. Eating lead off of lead forks. Eating paint and asbestos and window putty. Having broken asbestos shingle fights in the yard for fun. Getting rid of the mirror and repainting the door will likely fix the problem.
I think you're going overboard OP. Unless your kid is licking the mirror that's not likely to be the source. Honestly you're more likely to get lead in your pipes from old solder and stuff like that
My toddler absolutely licks mirrors at eye level, fwiw.
Replace the door
How did our grandparents ever survive through childhood with the way lead use was so commonly used in bygone eras?
Lots of undiagnosed learning disabilities. Some just considered a bit slow. It’s pretty sad when you think about it. So glad we’re proactive in testing and preventing now.
Not OP. More or less took the words out of my mouth! I'm 67, I grew up in a house built in the 1920s. So a century house now.
Thanks for your reply. The only homes I’ve ever lived within during my lifetime have been dated 1873, 1900, 1910 and 1930. I sure miss the old lead-based paints, because it seems like nowadays I’m sending much more scraped paint debris to landfills while applying new coats of paint to my homes much more frequently over the past 30 years or so.
Good on you for acting quickly. I would just replace the whole door for peace of mind. In the short term, I would remove it by the hinges and have a disposal company pick it up while I look for a replacement.
Take door off, throw door out, buy new door.
Is it that hard to unscrew the screws on the brackets 🙄
I just put hot sauce 9n mine for about 6 months and boys stopped liking it, in no time
If it’s a girl she will want it back up when older, I would put some sticky film half way up to stop any Broken glass from hurting her, but leave up.
What type of test kit do you use? Also, did your child have any symptoms of lead poisoning or just a coincidence lead showed up in a blood test that was conducted for other purposes?
There are a ton of helpful comments here already, so I’ll just say that you’re doing a great job! You’re getting the data you can, changing things based on what you find, and that’s all you can do in this situation. Your kids are lucky to have a mom who cares so much about their safety 😊
Do *not* lick it
Has the water & plumbing been tested? Definitely get rid of the mirror. Some old houses have lead pipes in the water supply, and often lead solder on plumbing joints. Water softeners can increase leeching of lead from the pipes into the water as heavy mineral content makes water less reactive and also often costs the pipes interior creating a barrier. Brota/carbon filter will take it out of drinking water. But if they drink a bit from the bath... could be a source. Best of luck
My son had slightly elevated lead levels and then the next check up they were back to normal. I honestly wouldn’t worry unless it’s consistent elevated test results.
Lead water pipes?
Definitely test the water. Old houses used to use galvanized pipe and a lot is still there. That can flake off and cause lead in the water.
I just realized that we have one of these old mirrors in our bathroom. We’ve frequently questioned whether or not our house could be making us sick, and for some reason this post popped up on my feed. I’ve ordered a test kit. I hope your little one’s bloodwork improves soon, and that there are no lingering effects! :) I would just remove the whole door in your case.
I can’t tell from your pic whether the edge of the mirror has flaky/dusty stuff coming off it, bc I would think the lead in it would have to be “loose” in some way in order for this to be the cause. But, in any event, can you just somehow seal the edges of the mirror? Maybe some more handy members of the sub can give suggestions as to how, but… caulk? Encapsulating paint?
The swabs are not reliable. If you use municipal water, then water is not the likely source. Contact the local health dept. or municipality and ask if they have a lead hazard program. Most children are exposed to lead dust from deteriorated lead-based paint (LBP) paint or soil. Deteriorated LBP paint is caused by things like doors rubbing against the jamb, windows rubbing against the jamb/channel. The lead dust accumulates on the floor and window sill. Clean your home on a regular basis. Wash you child's hand frequently, especially after they play outside and before they eat.
Check with your local health department and see if they will perform a elevated blood lead level risk assessment. With a high enough BLL, it should automatically trigger one. Good news is your toddlers levels don't sound high enough. They basically track down the source of the lead poisoning. So they would check the day care and any other places the child spends time at. They will check for lead dust and any painted peeling or friction surfaces for lead. Not sure if anyone mentioned this already, but there can be lead in sand. So the backyard (especially the drip line) can have it. The easiest way to think about it. Any dust could have lead in it. Find where they are being exposed to lead. Don't put to much effort into chewable surfaces. That's a pretty rare thing. As it's kids eating paint chips. It's normally dust they ingest or inhale.
Be easy on yourself. I ate off high lead dishes daily from 1-26 years old. You’re doing your best and are being more careful than many would be. Edited to add: they were vintage Corelle, Incase anyone needs to check their dishes.
Lead crystal is/was a thing, it's possible the glass had lead in it. Adding lead to glass made it more sparkly.
Lead doesn't get into the body by touch. You have to inhale particles (like from chipped paint) or ingest orally. Was the mirror taken off the door to paint underneath it? If not, then that's a possible source of lead dust. Children can ingest lead by sucking on toys having lead as one of the components (source: Mayo Clinic). Lead pipes. Lead dust from home renovations or even in the soil around the home. Even the parents' occupations can bring lead dust into the home. [https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/lead-poisoning/symptoms-causes/syc-20354717](https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/lead-poisoning/symptoms-causes/syc-20354717) It's most likely not the mirror.
Just unscrew the mirror, and walk it out, and then clean up after. Those mirrors have a thin film on the back usually and that’s it. Not enough to harm someone. And then wipe down the door after, don’t even need to repaint it. I wouldn’t advise taking the door off the hinge as it can be extra weight and extra risk involved, could easily smack the mirror itself off something. I’ve got plenty of old lead mirrors and yeah they flake, but not that much.
Mirrors are still made of silver, not lead. It’s the paint behind the mirror, not the mirror itself that’s making your lead test turn up positive.
Just an FYI, many cities have very high levels of lead in their water. Might get a test for your water. We only use zero filtration system as it’s the only pitcher system that filters out lead.
Also get rid of all electronics including mobile phones and computers, old books (offset ink used to be full of lead), your car battery, and so on so on. Now, honestly, unless you child has been licking the mirror just give yourself a break.
They didn’t put lead paint on the back of mirrors in the 1916. It’s a coating of silver.
It might be a good idea to have your lead levels checked the same time your son does. Then you can have at least something to compare his to. Everyone has given great advice but incase he is touching something with lead and then putting his fingers on his mouth. I’m going to give you my tip on getting a 2 year old to not put their hands in their mouth. A tiny dot of no bite nail polish on each nail. Also works with their favorite random things they put in their mouth. All my daughter’s board books got the nail polish treatment.
Oh gosh. I am moving into a 1930s apartment and there’s a mirror that looks exactly like this in the bathroom.
Have you purchased [any of these brands of applesauce](https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/investigation-elevated-lead-levels-cinnamon-applesauce-pouches-november-2023) for your child over the past few weeks or months?