Lead Is Good for the Body, in Moderation

The effects lead paint can have on your health have become a constant topic on the nightly news. Unfortunately, many of those new stories revolve around children’s toys. In the past couple of years, numerous toys and other merchandise have been recalled due to lead paint and lead poisoning. Lead is a naturally-occurring element and it can cause harm if ingested or inhaled. Lead has proven harmful to all humans but mostly to children under the age of six, since lead can affect their neurological development.

Lead can be found in:

Paint—the older your home, the more likely it’ll have lead-based paint. Usually a home will have lead paint if built before 1978. Apartments and single family homes can have lead paint, and the lead-based paint can be found both inside and outside.
Soil around your home—If your exterior walls are painted with lead-based paint, it may contaminate the surrounding . Leaded gas from cars can also contaminate the soil.
Household dust—deteriorating lead-based paint can be picked up by the dust.
Drinking water—this can be contaminated if your home has lead plumbing. You cannot taste lead in your water and you can’t remove the lead if you boil the water. A person who suspects they have lead in their water should only use cold water to drink and cook, and should let their water run at least 30 seconds before drinking it.
Old painted toys and furniture

Although some paints have lead, it is not necessarily harmful. As long as the paint is intact and isn’t scratched or chipped, lead-based paint is not usually dangerous. Unborn children can be affected by lead poisoning. Lead can be ingested by eating paint chips and inhaled by breathing in or swallowing lead dust. Children are most susceptible to lead poisoning since they are more likely to stick paint chips in in their mouths. Children’s bodies absorb more lead and their brains are damaged faster and easier.

If not detected early, children can experience hyperactivity, damage to the nervous system, hearing problems, slowed growth and headaches. Still, adults can also be highly affected. If an adult ingests lead they can have reproductive problems, muscle and joint pain, nerve disorders and memory problems. To prevent lead poisoning, it is recommended that all toys painted with lead-based paint be thrown away. Clean any traces of paint chips in your home and clean your home with an all-purpose cleaner or a cleaner specifically made for lead. Also, clean your children’s hands before they eat or go to sleep. If all else fails, contact a certified lead hazard elimination contractor who will remove, seal or enclose the dangerous lead paint in or outside your home.

Lead (In Moderation) Is Good for the Body