Is there a chance that 70's clothing has lead paint in it?

Question

I'm thinking about buying some 70's clothing on eBay, however I don't want to be exposed to lead paint. Did their clothes from back then have lead in it?

Answer 1

I'm not sure about the clothing, but toys, paint, and many other things had lead in them.  And I don't see any great harm done.  

We also drank out of the water hose, played ball in the streets, came home after dark, rode our bikes without helmets, and all kinds of risky stuff like that, and y'know what?  We all made it through just fine, but I just don't know how we managed to survive.  

Come to think of it, I still have some old clothes from back in the 70's in my closet.  I'd better have them tested immediately.  Thanks for the heads up!

Answer 2

By mid 1960s we had begun to realize how bad a toxin lead is. We had banned it from paints that might come in contact with kids.

But we were still soldering pipes for drinking water with lead-tin solder.

Lead was still showing up in glass intended to be drunk from, even glass that would contain acid juices.

I would suggest you stay away from buildings soldered in the period before 1980, glass with a high refractive index from that period, and somewhat older paint, or exterior paint even as late as 1980.

But also be careful of old cars' brake linings, that were made of carcinogen asbestos, and asbestos in old insulation, roofing shingles.

As late as 1985 we still had  people selling asbestos-laced plastic products for roofing and siding, and those people were totally distraught to learn that their product would be involved in cancers.

I have never heard specifically of lead in 1970's clothing, nor any since the 1930s. but I know that lead paint was widely used through 1960, so be cautious if it appears to have been painted.