Lead paint From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Lead paint is paint containing lead, which was used until the 1970s as a white pigment. White pigment does not add color, but serves the very important function of increasing opacity and making the paint resistant to UV radiation. For centuries, the primary white pigment in paints was lead white (basic lead carbonate, 2PbCO3·Pb(OH)2), one of the oldest pigments known. One problem with lead is that it is extremely toxic, and as lead white ages it turns to lead acetate, which is sweet to taste. This is why children had the tendency to lick or chew on woodwork painted with lead paint. There is also a red lead, which was once popular as a primer. It is not stable enough to be used much as a pigment.
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