Lead Poisoning from Garden Hoses

July 2007

Attention parents – thick twice before you let your child take a cool drink from the garden hose this summer. According a recent report, five out of 10 common household garden hoses contain levels of lead deemed unsafe by the Environmental Protection Agency.

Exposure to excessive lead levels may cause lead poisoning. This condition has been linked to developmental disabilities, brain damage, and other serious problems when children that ingest the dangerous toxin.

Many hose manufacturers have agreed to reduce the lead content in their products, but that doesn’t make all hoses safe. Always check a garden to see if there is a warning against high amounts of lead in the product and think twice before you or someone you love takes a drink.