Adults
Although children are at greater risk from lead exposure, adult exposures can also result in harmful health effects.

• Most adult exposures are occupational and occur in lead-related industries such as lead smelting, refining, and manufacturing industries.
• One frequent source of lead exposure to adults is home renovation that involves scraping, remodeling, or otherwise disturbing lead-based paint. Renovation involving lead based paint should only be undertaken after proper training, or with the use of certified personnel.

Adults can also be exposed during certain hobbies and activities where lead is used. Some of the more common examples include

• artistic painting
• car repair
• electronics soldering
• glass or metal soldering
• glazed pottery making
• molding of bullets, slugs, or fishing sinkers.
• stained-glass making
• target shooting
• Workers may inhale lead dust and lead oxide fumes, as well as eat, drink, and smoke in or near contaminated areas, thereby increasing their probability of lead ingestion.
• Between 0.5 and 1.5 million workers are exposed to lead in the workplace (ATSDR, 1999).
• If showers and changes of clothing are not provided, workers can bring lead dust home on their skin, shoes, and clothing, thus inadvertently exposing family members.
• People using paints, pigments, facial makeup, or hair coloring with lead or lead acetate also increase their lead exposure risk. Cosmetics containing lead include surma sindhoor and kohl, popular in certain Asian countries.
• Other than the developmental effects unique to young children, the health effects experienced by adults from adult exposures are similar to those experienced by children, although the thresholds are generally higher.