Lead concerns have parents looking at store shelves and wondering what items are safe for their children.

According to Nancy K. Van Vorhis with the Virginia Department of Health, three children in Virginia have tested positive for elevated lead levels from exposure to toys.

13News went to various stores in Hampton Roads -- Target, Dollar Discount, Big Lots and Dollar Tree - buying toys and other children's products to test.

Marine Chemist Service in Newport News, which is experienced in detecting lead in soil, buildings and products, checks them out. They scrape the paint from 20 products and bag each sample.  Then it’s off to the lab, where the paint is tested by using acid.

According to standards set by the Consumer Product Safety Commission, no product should have more than .06 percent of lead.

All the results are back in two weeks.

Three samples test positive for lead, according to Dr. Bharati Lakshimi with Marine Chemist Service. Those items were bought at Dollar Tree stores, a company based in Chesapeake.

A fish toy has .2 percent, which is three times the legal limit.  Just touching it makes the paint and sparkles fall off. A pig piggy bank measures 1.45 percent, 24 times the legal limit; a little boy golfer figurine measures 2.8 percent, almost 47 times more than the limit.

"2.8 is off the chain, so to speak. That's extremely high. You would definitely not want them to have contact with this toy at all," says Harry Bennett, Environmental Manager for the Portsmouth Health Department.

The department is a leader in lead abatement

"The size of the toy does not matter.  It's the concentration of the lead in the paint that matters," Bennett stresses.

If your child is exposed to lead, the symptoms are not necessarily immediate. It could be years later before they show up in your child.

“The effects are irreversible; they're permanent," warns Teri Young, the lead program coordinator with the Portsmouth Health Department.

Symptoms of lead poisoning include short term headaches, nausea and stomach aches.

Long term, effects include behavioral and developmental problems, growth retardation and worse.

"(It) can cause death," Young adds.

If you’re worried that your child has been exposed to lead, get them tested.

"We recommend screening at ages one and two and if a child has not been screened, then they should be screened prior to age six," advises Young.

Children on Medicaid, who receive WIC or live in a home built before 1978 are supposed to be tested for lead.  Unfortunately, pediatricians don’t always comply.

Experts say there are things you can do to help prevent lead exposure.

You should develop good cleaning habits to keep down possible lead dust and feed children well-balanced meals.  Good nutrition will help a child eliminate lead if he’s been exposed.

13News shared results of the tests with Dollar Tree.  The company policy is to not speak on camera, but in an email, officials say they consider the products as decorative items but "we appreciate being advised of any product that appears not to be up to required standards." They also say they are investigating and that they're consulting with the Consumer Products Safety Commission for guidance on this issue.

LIST OF PRODUCTS TESTED FOR THIS REPORT:

From Big Lots!

These products had no lead levels.

Horse Country

Sesame Giggle and Go

Muscle Shop Sports Car

From Dollar Tree

These products had no lead levels.

Finding Nemo figurine

Wild and Wacky Yo Yo

Bling Ring

Bobble Head Christmas Dog

Giggles Hair Clips

Necklace

Dinosaur figurine

Hot Wheels Cars

Sesame Street Elmo figurine

Golf Tees

From Dollar Tree

These products had positive lead levels.

Green Pig Piggy Bank

Little boy golfer figurine

Multi Colored Fish figurine

From Target

These products had no lead levels.

Magnetic Boards with ABC’s

Sesame Street Tub Wind Ups

Dora Take Along

From Dollar Discount

This product had no lead levels.

City and Rescue Fire Engine