Lead poisoning is a grave danger that various people have to face in their everyday life. In ingested, this poison has devastating consequences and more so on children. According to the World Health Organization, over 99 percent of the children that fall victim to lead poisoning every year belong to families with low to middle income. The vast majority of these children exhibit signs of intellectual disability, among other unpleasant symptoms. That is why authorities are being urged to stop lead poisoning in children as a matter of urgency.

The Main Source of Lead around Your Home

When it comes to residential areas, paint is the most commonly found carrier of lead. Although the use of lead based paints in homes has been banned since 1978, some homes that were built and painted before that still have lead paints. Moreover, the ruling has not stopped some contractors and landlords from using it regardless.

What Makes Lead a Dangerous Substance?

Lead is dangerous to people as it doesn’t take long to get ingested and distributed throughout the body via the vascular system. Buildings that have been coated with lead based paint grow old, and over time, lead begins to crack and peel. This development creates pockets of lead dust in the window area, door area, and other spots around the house. When lead reaches the vital organs of the body they are adversely affected seriously compromising your wellbeing.

Perhaps the most startling fact about lead poisoning is that this substance is capable of crossing the blood-brain barrier that exists in the form of a membrane. The membrane is effective in keeping toxins outside the brain, but dismally fails against lead.

Another shocker comes in the form of the duration for which lead intakes remain inside the body after being ingested. Typical, the half-life of lead following a single exposure reads like:
•35 days for blood
•2-3 years for bones
•20-30 years for long bones
•2 years for the brain

Lead is particularly dangerous for children, as it may result in life altering injuries and conditions. A number of scenarios can result from the exposure of a child to lead-based paint or any other substance or product releasing lead. The child may suffer severe brain damage, developmental delays, autism, and loss of IQ. The transmission of signals and the growth of neurons are seriously compromised, often to such a level that any communication ability is barely left.

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Safe Level of Lead in Human Body

There is absolutely NO ‘safe’ quantity of lead in the body. Lead has no business being in the body and the seriousness of the effects escalates as the exposure is heightened. Mild levels of exposure result in mild symptoms, such as damage to the central nervous system. The escalation of exposure may lead to other serious issues such as:

•Cognitive deficiency
•Speech and hearing problems
•Developmental delays
•Impaired Hemesythesis
•Anemia
•Diminishing IQ
•Nephropathy
•Need for chelation
•Encephalopathy
•Systemic organ damage
•Seizure
•Comma
•Death

How to Curb Lead Poisoning

•The first safeguard against lead poisoning is to avoid its use altogether. If you have bought a new home or moved into a new rental apartment it is important to get the paint layers tested for the presence of lead paint.

•Wash the hands of your child frequently. Lead dust can easily attach to the hands of children as the crawl or play around the house. The situation is aggravated by the sweet taste of lead paint which drives children to ingest it directly in an act known as pica.

•Regular cleaning and mopping of the floors is also a good measure.
•You must avoid using vacuum cleaners that blow dust back into the atmosphere around the house. Hapa Vacuums are a great choice at preventing the spread and blowing around of toxic dust.

More information on lead poisoning and how it can be prevented is available in this great video.