Lead Poisoning: A Health Threat That Could Be Hurting You & Your Loved Ones

While adults can generally tolerate the low levels of lead that may be present in our homes, top officials in our federal government are now calling lead poisoning the nation's primary environmental threat to children. According to the EPA, one out of nine children under age six has enough lead in his blood for it to be a health problem.

Lead is a naturally occurring metallic element whose toxicity is well established. It is a cumulative poison, so while one small exposure may not seem harmful, repeated exposures can build up over time. Because lead is an element, it never decomposes into another substance that might be more easily tolerated, and it never leaves your body. Damage from consistent lead exposure is usually irreversible.

Early symptoms of lead poisoning include abdominal pains, loss of appetite, constipation, muscle pains and weakness, irritability, a metallic taste in the mouth, excessive thirst, nausea and vomiting, headache, insomnia, depression, and lethargy. Repeated low-level exposure has been found to produce anemia, stomach ailments, and permanent neuropsychological defects and behavior disorders in children, including noticeable learning difficulties, poor scores on IQ and development tests, and short attention spans. In very high doses, lead can cause brain damage, nervous system disorders, and death, although such heavy poisoning is unlikely from exposure around your home. There is no safe level for lead.

The household lead exposure people generally think of first is caused by lead-based paints. Manufacturers removed much of the lead from paint in the 1950s, and the federal government banned lead in paint altogether in 1978. While this means we don't have to worry about lead in a new can of paint, there is still great concern about the lead that is already on the walls in millions of homes across America. 75% of all private housing built before 1980 has some lead paint. Since lead was a standard ingredient in paint at that time, lead-painted walls may be found in houses in all older neighborhoods, whether well-to-do or poor.

Many children get lead poisoning not from eating paint chips, but rather from breathing fine paint dust stirred up by the opening and closing of windows with lead-painted window frames, or from the removal or disturbance of old paint during renovations. It can be found on the exterior and interior of houses - on walls, window and door trims, railings, baseboards, and radiators.

It takes very little lead to cause lead poisoning. The Centers for Disease Control has set ten micrograms per deciliter as the level above which some sort of action should be taken. A child can reach lead/blood levels of three times that amount by ingesting lead equivalent to one granule of sugar a day, which could easily happen if a child touches a windowsill and sucks his thumb on a regular basis.

Tap water is another source of lead. Lead in water causes 10 to 20% of overall childhood lead exposure. If your water comes from a well, travels through old lead-soldered pipes, or is known to be very corrosive, you may have cause for concern.

The glaze on ceramic and pottery dishware can also cause significant lead exposure. Lead is used to create bright colors and mask deficiencies in the pottery and has been known to be a problem, especially in imported pieces. The federal government prohibits the sale of dinnerware that releases lead in amounts greater than 2,000 parts per billion, which prevents direct cases of lead poisoning. However, in 1986, the state of California passed legislation requiring written warnings on any dishware that releases lead in amounts greater than 224 ppb, based on the potential longterm health risk to young children and developing fetuses.

Pregnant women should be especially careful during pregnancy, as developing fetuses are the most vulnerable. Most important, do not start to strip paint or wallpaper to prepare the new nursery now if there is any chance that old layers of lead paint may lurk below.

Children are most likely to get lead poisoning between the ages of six months and six years, when lead dust from carpeting, toys, or the floor can most easily get in their mouths and lungs. Your doctor can order a blood-lead test for your child if you suspect your child has been contaminated.

If you live in a house or apartment built before 1980, inspect your building carefully for signs of paint chips or dust. Look at windowsills, baseboards, and especially door frames, where friction can grind up paint layers. To remove dust, damp-mop or wipe with a solution of trisodium phosphate (TSP), which can be purchased at paint or hardware stores. As with asbestos, it is better to leave lead paint in place if intact rather than create a hazard by disturbing it. But if you find you have a major problem that requires removal, hire a qualified contractor. Complete removal might cost thousands of dollars, but you can significantly reduce the hazard by replacing doors, window frames, or contaminated carpeting, or by putting up wallpaper or paneling.

To remove lead from drinking water, you will need a reverse osmosis system or distiller. Inexpensive carbon filters will not remove lead . Before you buy ceramic or pottery dinnerware, ask about the lead used in glazes. Lead releases can vary from style to style from a single manufacturer, so be specific. When in doubt, don't buy it.