The fight against childhood lead exposure is about more than just lead paint.

Mayor Bill de Blasio on Monday announced his new initiative, LeadFreeNYC, which aims to completely eliminate lead poisoning in children throughout the city.

“We mean literal eradication,” said de Blasio, at a news conference alongside health experts at North Central Bronx Hospital in Norwood.

Children can experience learning and behavioral problems and delayed physical and mental development due to the toxicity of lead, with children 6 and under being the most vulnerable.

To make lead exposure “one of those diseases of the past” requires a deeper look at all risk factors, de Blasio said, adding his administration will implement new programs to prevent or treat lead exposure within 2 years.

That includes more inspections to look for lead-based paint and the dust it creates, which is the number one cause of lead poisoning–and not just in NYCHA, where in the past the housing authority has neglected lead abatement and filed bogus reports on lead contamination in playgrounds.

The focus for LeadFreeNYC is on private housing, which is where 97 percent of all children with high lead levels live, according to a report titled Roadmap to Eliminating Childhood Lead Exposure.

City law already requires landlords of buildings with 3 or more units perform lead inspections, with a penalty of $250 per violation per day for landlords who are delinquent in lead abatement and inspection. But stricter enforcement is needed, as are requirements for 1- and 2- unit buildings, de Blasio said. The goal is to screen every single apartment in New York City for lead hazards.

More surprisingly, the second-biggest culprit in childhood lead poisoning is consumer products, according to a study by the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Specifically, products imported from countries including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Georgia may contain lead in amounts that may be harmful to young children, Commissioner Kathryn Garcia said.

Everyday items can carry unexpected hazards, studies going back to 2010 have shown. Ceramic plates or dishes that contain lead are dangerous as they can contaminate food.

Spices, a  a vividly red powder known as sindoor, and a thick, dark eyeliner referred to as kajal or kohl–culturally worn by from people in countries living in either from South Asia, the Middle East, North and West Africa, and South Asia–are sometimes manufactured using lead.

Medical professionals recommend children should be tested for lead in the blood at ages 1 and 2 by their pediatrician. For those who do not have a pediatrician, parents can call 311 and get connected with free lead testing services.

When a child suffers from lead poisoning, “too often the families feel like it’s hard to get to the source and that the burden is on them,” said Maida Galvez, an associate professor in environmental medicine and pediatrics at Mount Sinai.

“We need more aggressive policies to prevent the exposure from happening in the first place. This is not going to be easy but it needs to be done.”