<P> Lead paint or lead - based paint is paint containing lead . As pigment, lead (II) chromate (Pb Cr O, "chrome yellow"), Lead (II, IV) oxide, (Pb O, "red lead"), and lead (II) carbonate (Pb C O, "white lead") are the most common forms . Lead is added to paint to speed up drying, increase durability, maintain a fresh appearance, and resist moisture that causes corrosion . It is one of the main health and environmental hazards associated with paint . In some countries, lead continues to be added to paint intended for domestic use, whereas countries such as the U.S. and the U.K. have regulations prohibiting this, although lead paint may still be found in older properties painted prior to the introduction of such regulations . Although lead has been banned from household paints in the United States since 1978, paint used in road markings may still contain it . Alternatives such as water - based, lead - free traffic paint are readily available, and many states and federal agencies have changed their purchasing contracts to buy these instead . </P> <P> Lead white was being produced during the 4th century BC; the process is described by Pliny the Elder, Vitruvius and the ancient Greek author Theophrastus . </P> <P> The traditional method making the pigment was called the stack process . Hundreds or thousands of earthenware pots containing vinegar and lead were embedded in a layer of either tan bark or cow feces . The pots were designed so that the vinegar and lead were in separate compartments, but the lead was in contact with the vapor of the vinegar . The lead was usually coiled into a spiral, and placed on a ledge inside the pot . The pot was loosely covered with a grid of lead, which allowed the carbon dioxide formed by the fermentation of the tan bark or the dung to circulate in the pot . Each layer of pots was covered by a new layer of tan, then another layer of pots . the heat created by the fermentation, acetic acid vapor and carbon dioxide within the stack did their work, and within a month the lead coils were covered with a crust of white lead . This crust was separated from the lead, washed and ground for pigment . This was an extremely dangerous process for the workmen . Medieval texts warned of the danger of "apoplexy, epilepsy, and paralysis" from working with lead white . </P>

When did lead start being used in paint