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Lead in Paint About 75% of the U.S. houses and apartments built before 1980 contain lead paint, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. More than half of all American homes contain old lead paint, with concentrations up to 50% lead by weight. Children can be poisoned by chewing on a lead painted windowsill or eating lead paint chips, but the more common cause of poisoning is getting lead dust on their hands and into their mouths. Lead dust is released from paint in three ways: 1. chipping
and peeling paint A newer coat of paint does not protect you from any lead-based paint that may have ben applied years ago, especially if the surface is worn, rubbed, walked-on or bumped. If there is any friction or impact to a surface ever painted with lead-based paint, then assume that dust containing lead is coming from that surface. Children do not have to eat paint chips to be poisoned. |
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in Dust Experts agree the most common cause of lead poisoning in children is lead in surface dust. Lead dust is very fine, can be invisible, and is hard to clean up because it is so sticky. It gets on children's hands and toys and then into their mouths through normal behaviors such as thumb-sucking. Lead paint is a major source of lead dust - window sills and window wells often have very high levels. Any place lead paint is bumped or rubbed or is chipping or peeling, lead dust is a major concern. Lead dust also comes from soil and airborne emissions such as incinerators, smelters, and other industries. Many children are poisoned by lead dust brought home by their parents from the the workplace. Millions of people are exposed to lead from their jobs. |
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in Soil Outside, in public playgrounds and in their own yards, the dirt where children play may contain high lead levels. Decades of peeling exterior building paint, air emissions from leaded car exhaust, and pollution from smelters and other industries are significant sources. In Oakland, California, a Department of Health study showed that two-thirds of the children living close to major highways had blood lead levels in the toxic range. The highest levels of lead in soil usually are found close to the foundations of homes painted with exterior leaded paint. |
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in Ceramics Mercifully, U.S. baby food no longer comes in lead-soldered cans, and U.S. commercial ceramics processes are designed to prevent lead from leaching into food. However, ceramics fired at too low a temperature may pose risks. Leaded crystal can leach lead into stored liquids, especially acidic ones like wine or fruit juices. |
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in Water The EPA estimates that drinking water is the source of about 20% of Americans' lead exposure. Lead comes from old lead pipes and service lines in city systems and from home plumbing. Leaded solder was legal for use on drinking water lines until the 1980's and is still for sale in hardware stores. Faucets and plumbing fittings may legally contain up to 8% lead. The greatest risk is to infants on formula mixed with contaminated water. Our research has found that most new faucets leach dangerous levels of lead into tapwater. |
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