Posts Tagged ‘health’

Lead Paint Is Very Toxic To The Human Body

Lead paint is a toxic substance that can cause serious illnesses and other problems in adults and children. Before the 80′s, it was not known that lead based paint caused health problems, so it was used then. However, now everyone knows how toxic it is, and it is no longer in use. However, when it was in use, it was responsible for many illnesses and even deaths in individuals, especially young children.

One of the ways that the presence of lead paint is discovered in children is through their elevated blood levels. When high blood levels are detected in children, their homes are usually tested for lead based paint.

If the toxic paint is found in the home, then the children must be removed to a safe location until the toxic paint is gone. If you are not sure if your house is safe from toxic paint, then it is best to get it tested.

There are licensed lead inspectors or risk assessors that can help you determine if your house is safe, and what you need to do if it is not. In many cases, the lead inspector can also search your home for asbestos fibers in your home, which is another highly toxic and environmentally unsafe substance to have in your home.

If you are not familiar with asbestos, then you should know that it was used in older homes as a way to prevent fires and other home disasters, since it is flame resistant and does not conduct electricity. Unfortunately, it was later found to be highly toxic to the human body, causing cancer, asbestosis and other such issues. Many lead based paint specialists can also deal with an asbestos problem.

The main indicator that determines lead exposure is through elevated blood levels in the body. If a doctor detects a high blood level in a child, then he will probably suggest a lead paint test for the child’s home. If lead based paint is found, then the children must be removed from the premises until all the lead is removed.

If you think that you might have paint that contains lead in your home, then testing is a good idea. A licensed risk assessor can help determine if your house is safe from the toxic presence of lead. A risk assessor can also help determine if there are other toxic materials in your home as well, such as asbestos fibers.

Asbestos was used in older homes to reduce the risk of fire, as asbestos is flame retardant, and resists electricity. Later it was found that asbestos causes mesothelioma cancer and was discontinued from use.

Lead paint is a very toxic substance to the body. It causes serious illnesses, especially in children. Therefore, it is impossible to be too careful when dealing with lead based paint.

If you feel your house might be at risk, then you can call a risk assessor to test your indoor air quality to see if your home environment is safe. If not, he or she can tell you what you should do to eliminate the substance.

New Lead Paint Law Coming in April 2010

Image via Wikipedia

 

Starting in April 2010, federal law will require that contractors be trained to protect pregnant women and children from high levels of lead. Signed into law in March of this 2008, the EPA’s Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting Program is the most important new effort to fight childhood lead poisoning in a decade the EPA  says.

The law requires contractors and maintenance personnel to be certified, and their employees trained. Also they must follow protective lead-safe work procedures when renovating, repairing or painting activities will disturb more than 6 sq ft of lead paint in a room or where twenty sq ft of lead paint  is disrupted on the outside.

Workers are required to hang warning signs, to keep occupants from work areas, prevent dust & debris from escaping, cleanup thoroughly and verify that the cleanup was performed correctly.
Two out of every three homes and fifty percent of the day care centers and schools built prior to the 60’s have some lead paint. These new regulations are for those constructed prior to 1978, the year the lead paint ban went into effect, where kids under the 6 reside or where pregnant women live.

Exposure to lead-based dust is the most likely way kids get lead poisoning, “which can cause serious behavior and learning problems in children and health problems in adults” says the EPA.
By requiring certification, we will be able to identify those contractors who are trained in lead-safe work practices. 

This will no doubt ably raise the cost of home remodeling due to the extra cost from licensing & training. Contractors will also have higher material & labor cost in order to contain and cleanup any dust created from the remodeling process. They will have no choice but to pass the extra cost to the homeowner.

For more information visit  www.epa.gov/lead, or phone the National Lead Information Center at 800-424-5323.