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Do you live in a house built before 1978? If your answer is yes, call MAS Labs to have your home tested for lead. 1.800.470.4844
SOURCES OF LEAD Until 1978, lead was used as an additive in paint to increase durability. Although the practice has been discontinued, lead-based paint may still be present in older homes. Paint containing lead is commonly found on window frames, floors, baseboards, and home exteriors. As the paint degrades, lead dust is released into the air or washed into soil outside the home, below the painted surface. Contamination can also come from drinking or cooking with water that flows through lead pipes, lead fittings, or lead solder. Boiling water does not remove lead. Lead solder, like lead paint, was also discontinued by 1978, but like paint, it still remains in homes built prior to that time. LEAD POISIONING Lead poisoning is of greatest concern among children, as they frequently put their hands or other objects that may be contaminated with lead dust in their mouths. Children may also eat sweet tasting lead paint chips, chew on surfaces coated with lead paint, or play in soil that is contaminated with lead. Children’s growing bodies absorb more lead than adults’: 50% of the lead they ingest. And their brains and nervous systems are far more sensitive to the damaging effects of lead. Even children who appear healthy can have dangerous levels of lead in their blood. Known health effects of lead exposure in children include brain and nervous system damage, behavioral problems, slowed growth, hearing problems, and headaches. Lead exposure is also harmful to adults. It is known to cause problems during pregnancy and other reproductive problems that are not limited to women. It may also cause high blood pressure, nerve disorders, memory problems, and muscle and joint pain. You should consider having your home screened or tested for lead if:
Do you live in a house built before 1978? If your answer is yes, call MAS Labs to have your home tested for lead. 1.800.470.4844 |
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