What you can do

Lower your risk of lead exposure by taking these steps:

• Keep children away from keys, key chains, cheap beads and artificial pearls, and kids' metal jewelry, which have been found to contain lead.
• Beware of lead in toys and other products with screen-printed or painted surfaces, including paint on plastic, fabric, or metal. Some inexpensive items for Halloween, Christmas, and Easter have also been recalled.
• Periodically check for recalls and product safety news at www.cpsc.gov .
• To test a product for surface lead, consider the Homax Lead Check, Lead Check Household Lead Test Kit (shown), and Lead Inspector. They can be useful but limited screening tools that detect surface lead but not total lead content. Items that test positive shouldn't be used. For a more exact lead level, an item must be tested professionally.