Lead Poisoning

Lead is a sweet-tasting highly toxic metal that can cause brain damage, affect a child’s growth, damage kidneys, impair hearing, as well as cause vomiting and headaches. We read that even small amounts of lead can have disastrous effects especially on children.

Children who are poisoned by this metal may have no outward appearance of illness except in their behavior. Researchs have shown that children who are lead toxic have learning and behavioral problems. There are recorded cases where a child’s behavior such as bullying and poor perormance in school are directly linked to high lead exposure. In adults, lead can increase blood pressure and can cause digestive problems, nerve disorders, sleep problems and mood changes.

Major cause of lead poisoning in homes is deteriorating lead-based paints and the dust inside and outside homes caused by such paint. Other sources could be air, drinking water, food and contaminated soil. Airborne lead can enter the body when you breathe or swallow lead particles or dust. Lead can also leak into drinking water from plumbing materials such as lead pipes, copper pipes with lead solder and brass faucets.

Lead can also be found on printed walls at homes. It can also be deposited on floors, windowsills, or in the soil outside the home. Emmissions of leaded gasoline account for high level of lead in the soil.

Lawmakers in our government can do a lot to help the people avoid lead exposure. In the United States certiified lead inspectors and accredited lead removal contractors are helping in both poor and affluent sectors in society. Canada is enacting laws addres to the problem of lead poisoning.

Here’s some tips we can do right in our homes to avoid lead poisoning :

* Check for peeling and chipping paint in your house. Clean it up and prevent your children from touching those areas. Cover old carpets, they can be full of lead dust.

* Clean wet mop floors at least twice a week. Wash with detergents before rinsing with water.

* Wash window sills weekly. The window sill is the part of the house that is normally in direct contact with young children.

* Put a washable floor mat outside your front and back service doors. Wash them weekly.

* Wash your childrens’ hands before eating to prevent lead from getting to your child’s mouth.