Lead Poisoning in Children and Pets
Posted by: Kevin Flatt* Lead can be found just about everywhere. It can be detected in paint, batteries, window sills and blinds.
* Recent evidence has shown that it doesn’t take a lot of lead to affect the functioning of the brain. Lead may even have some long-term effects upon IQ and actual nervous system functions.
* Signals that a child might have lead poisoning range from not feeling very well and being colicky, to seizures and anemia.
* The homes that have lead problems are usually older homes that were painted when lead components in paint were very common. When it was realized that lead was a health hazard, the paint companies stopped using lead as a major component. The general guideline is if a house is over 25 or 30 years old, the paint in the home probably has lead in it.
* Lead poisoning can also affect pets. When animals walk on the ground they can get lead dust on their paws. Then they’ll groom themselves, and will ingest the lead at a much higher concentration.
* Even though you paint over a wall that was once coated with lead paint, the paint can chip off exposing underlying paint with lead in it.
* Testing is the only way to be sure that you don’t have lead in your home. Take scrapings to a lab for testing.