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8 Eight Questions to test Your Knowledge on Lead..... . I.
Most children who become lead poisoned have eaten lead paint chips. 2.
Lead paint is the only source of lead exposure for people in
Australia.
3.
Children have to show obvious symptoms to be lead poisoned. 4.
Lead poisoning is only an inner city problem.
5.
Since lead paint was banned in the 1970's' it no longer poses a
threat. 6.
Very low levels of lead in a child's body can cause adverse health
effects. 7.
A mother's body will naturally filter lead so that it cannot hurt a
developing foetus. 8. The only way to know if your child has too much lead in them is to have a blood lead test. a) True b) false Answers: 1.b, 2.b, 3.b, 4.b, 5.b, 6 a, 7.b, 8.a. |
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Why Do I Need To Test My Home For Lead? Lead is a highly toxic metal that causes a wide range of adverse health effects. Children exposed to lead have reduced IQ, impaired hearing, are more likely to develop anti-social behaviour, have learning and reading problems, be more aggressive, more destructive and are less likely to graduate from high school. Lead also poisons 10-15 animals (mainly puppies) every month in Sydney. Children are most at risk because they can ingest toxic lead dust through normal hand-to mouth activity. Studies have found as many as 25% of Sydney preschool children have blood lead levels above acceptable health limits. More disturbing was that as many as one in two pre-school children living in older inner city areas of Sydney had blood lead concentrations above safe levels. Lead Paint Responsible. There are many sources of lead but the most common source of lead poisoning away from lead emitting industries is lead paint. Contrary to popular belief it is the ingestion of lead paint dust not lead paint chips that causes most elevated blood lead levels. Most buildings constructed before 1970 contain lead paint, the older the building the more lead paint present. Lead paint through natural weathering, or disturbance during repainting or renovations creates chips, fine particles and dust that contaminate soil and household dust. Lead emissions from motor vehicles and industry also contribute to soil and dust contamination. Children living in older homes in poor condition or present during house repainting or renovations are most at risk. Prevention The Cure. Even children who appear healthy may have high levels of lead. Most doctors cannot tell if a child has lead poisoning without a blood test. Prevention is the cure for lead poisoning. Children must live in a lead safe environment if they are to reach their full potential. You must remove the lead contamination from your child or remove your child from the lead contamination. Is Your House Contaminated? Almost all buildings built before 1970 have lead paint. However, paint is not the only source of lead in your home. Soil can be contaminated by exhaust emissions, industrial pollution or by hobbies that use lead. Lead does not decay or biodegrade. Carpets and rugs can accumulate lead when contaminated soil is tracked into the house or by lead dust created during repainting or renovations (even by neighbours). Workers can also bring lead dust home on their clothes. Lead dust particles are small and cannot be seen by the naked eye. Leadlighting can degrade, especially if heated or in sunshine, leaving a fine lead dust on the surface and falling below the lead lights. PVC plastics can contain lead, eg miniblinds, stationery items, children’s vinyl lunchboxes, raincoats etc. Some traditional folk medicines and cosmetics contain lead. The only way to tell if your house contains lead is to test. Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Lead Safe Test Kits Our DIY Lead Safe Test Kits are a cheap effective way to measure lead hazards in your home. The Kits consist of instructions and sample collection materials for testing vacuum cleaner and ceiling dust, soil and horizontal surfaces. Our DIY Basic and Comprehensive Lead Safe Test Kits are most popular with parents and home renovators All samples are analysed by a NATA registered laboratory, with results available in 1-2 weeks. Taking your own tests saves you hundreds of dollars! Comprehensive DIY Lead Safe Test Kit Retails for $220 (inc. GST, postage and handling) The comprehensive kit allows you to conduct a detailed investigation of many potential lead hazards in your home. It consists of 8 tests which can include any combination that suits your situation of: floor dust wipes and window well dust wipe tests for testing those areas of most concern (e.g. child play area), soil tests, vacuum dust, ceiling dust, water, paint chips, PVC plastic products, cosmetics, folk medicines, etc. Basic DIY Lead Safe Test Kit Retails for $80 (inc. GST, postage and handling) The basic kit allows you to test for lead hazards in your home for an economical price. It consists of 2 tests which can include any two sample types as described above.
Global Lead Advice & Support Service (GLASS) Run by The LEAD Group Inc.
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Updated 19 May 2008
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