Lead dust is especially dangerous to children and women who are (or wish to
become) pregnant. Most houses built before 1978 contain some lead-based paint.
Lead-based paint is not dangerous if it is properly cared for. But, when
lead-based paint deteriorates, chalks or is disturbed during remodeling,
repainting or routine maintenance, it creates an invisible, tasteless, and
odorless toxic lead dust.
Most cases of lead poisoning are caused by exposure to this dust.Even such
seemingly harmless acts as opening or closing a window, or the rubbing of a
door jamb, are enough to create and release significant levels of poisonous
lead dust.
Lead dust settles on floors and other surfaces where children play. It gets on
their hands and toys, and ends up in their mouths. Slowly and without
noticeable symptoms, they are poisoned.
Many homeowners unknowingly contaminate their homes when they remodel or
repaint rooms that contain lead-based paint. Even though homeowners may be
careful to remove paint chips, they don't realize that as they sand and scrape,
lead dust is being created. That lead dust is easily spread throughout the home
on their shoes, clothing and on air currents.
Pets are also highly susceptible to lead poisoning from lead contaminated dust.
They pick it up on their fur and paws, then ingest it while grooming
themselves. Because of their relatively small body size, it doesn't take much
lead to poison a dog or cat.
There are
many other sources of lead exposure, including:
Urban soil and dust (deposits from paint, gasoline and industrial
sources). Soil can become contaminated when exterior lead-based paint flakes,
chalks or peels and gets into the soil. Homes near certain industries such as
smelters or lead-acid (automotive) battery manufacturers may have lead in the
soil due to close proximity to those operations. Use of leaded gasoline in
America has left behind deposits of lead in much of the nation's soil. Children
often play in this soil, which is easily tracked into the home.
Drinking
water (leached from lead pipes, solder, service lines and brass
fixtures). Lead contaminates drinking water primarily through corrosion of
plumbing materials. As surprising as it sounds, some brand new faucets, new
solder and new brass fittings can leach more lead than old ones. Although lead
solder was outlawed for use in drinking water systems in 1986, it is still
widely available for other uses and can be found in any hardware store. Studies
of newer homes indicate that lead solder is being used, even though it has been
outlawed.
Over time, minerals build up inside the piping system and act as an insulator
between the water and lead containing components. Therefore, lead levels in
water from older homes may be lower than lead levels in water from newer homes.
Additionally, some treatments, such as "shocking" (super chlorination) will
clean out the piping system. This cleaning removes the mineral deposits,
causing the water to be exposed to leaded components once again.
Vinyl
miniblinds (lead is used as a plastic strengthener). For many years,
an estimated 25 million vinyl miniblinds containing lead were imported into the
United States each year. The plastic in the blinds deteriorates from exposure
to sunlight and heat to form lead dust.
Therefore, even homes without lead-based paint can be sources of lead exposure.
Lead is dangerous because it is so easily overlooked, and many people are
unaware that these hazards exist.
Lead poisoning can keep
your children from realizing their full potential:
Children are especially vulnerable to lead poisoning. Once in the
body, lead interferes with the body's production of chemicals called
neurotransmitters, that are necessary for proper brain functioning.
A child who has lead poisoning may not look or act sick. Early detection of
lead hazards in your home is crucial to preventing lead exposure and poisoning.
The ONLY way to detect lead is to test.
| Even low levels of lead exposure, persisting
throughout childhood, can slow normal development and be the root cause of the
following problems: |
| Birth defects |
| Hyperactivity: Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) |
| Lowered IQ |
| Behavioral problems |
| Learning disabilities |
Women exposed to lead
who become pregnant can pass lead directly to the developing baby:
| This exposure does not have to be recent. Pregnant
women and women of childbearing age face the risk of passing lead to their
unborn child, because lead is stored in the bones and tooth dentin for extended
periods of time. Changes that occur in a woman's body during pregnancy result
in the stored lead being released back into the blood stream. That lead can
then pass across the placenta to the developing baby. |
 |
| Lead exposure in pregnant women can cause: |
| Miscarriage |
| Premature birth |
| Low birth weight |
Under no circumstances should an expectant mother be involved in
the repainting or renovation of a nursery (or any other room) if it is at all
possible that lead paint is present. Scraping and sanding may cause elevated
levels of lead dust, which put the mother and her unborn child at risk of lead
exposure. A lead dust test should always be conducted at the completion of
renovation.
Click here to find out more about LeadSmart™.
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