Health Effects of Lead

 
The effects of lead on the health of adults and children are a major health concern in the United States and have been since 1978. At that time legislature prohibited its use in homes, business, schools and hospitals. Environmental exposure to lead existing in buildings built prior to 1978 can cause humans severe brain impairment, debilitating disease and death. If you know you or your children were exposed to lead paint or other products, you should contact your doctor at once for examination and testing. For this reason it is also very important to call a professional for lead inspection services in your area.

1. Time Frame

Acute exposure to lead residues or chemical resulting can cause poisoning symptoms to occur within days. Chronic exposure takes place over the course of several years, and usually causes permanent damage to both adults and children such as:

2. Features

- Short- term exposure causes appetite loss, nausea and vomiting, joint or muscle pain and severe anemia.
- Long- term exposure is severe, including permanent damage to the reproductive, blood-forming and nervous systems.

3. Warning

- Children are especially at risk for lead poisoning, and can have retardation and other severe neurological damage.
- A child and pregnant woman’s lead exposure causes retardation and severe brain disorders resulting in comas, seizures and death.


4. Causes (Contamination through:)

- Lead-Based Paint
- Paint Chips
- Contaminated Soil
- Water
- Dust where lead contamination occurred.

5. Prevention/Solution

You must immediately contact a certified lead abatement contractor to test your property and to safely remove old paint or other contaminants. This has to be done professionally in safe accordance with state and federal mandates regarding the removal of deadly lead contamination.

Do not attempt to sand, scrape and remove lead paint yourself, as you would unknowingly cause particles of lead residue to scatter throughout your home’s air, worsening contamination.

6. Grants Available for Lead Removal

A division of HUD offers grants for removal of lead contamination in residences as part of the national efforts to ensure safe living environment for children and adults. Homeowners with residential contamination should visit the website and complete an application for the award of a grant to pay for decontamination. They have a toll free number for any questions you may have.

Owners of Rental Properties

If you own rental property over 40 years old, it must be tested and if contaminated, professionally decontaminated.

Need a lead inspection in the LA area? Call Common Sense Inspections at (323) 372-2666 today for quick and reliable services. 

Lead Inspections Lost Angeles Mold Inspection

About the author

Hello, Samuel Dixon with Common Sense Inspections Mold Inspection in Los Angeles has been awarded the Council­ certified Indoor Environmental Consultant (CIEC) designation by the American Council for Accredited Certification (ACAC). This prestigious, board ­awarded certification recognizes Dixon’s knowledge and field experience in indoor environmental investigation and consulting. To earn the CIEC designation, Samuel passed a rigorous examination based on respected industry texts. He then submitted documented, verifiable field experience to a board of peers, earning a unanimous vote of approval. To maintain the CIEC designation, Samuel will remain active in the field and complete 40 hours of professional development activities within the next two years. Samuel is now listed in the ACAC certificant database at www.acac.org, along with more than 2,800 ACAC certificants around the world. The database can be searched by name, company or zip code and represents a continuously updated roster of experienced indoor environmental professionals. The CIEC designation is accredited by the Council of Engineering and Scientific Specialty Boards (CESB) and the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA), both nationally recognized third­ party accreditation bodies. For more information, visit www.acac.org.