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February 27, 2009

Health Dept. warns of lead dangers

By Kelly Young

kyoung@jacksonvilleprogress.com

According to the Cherokee County Health Department, more than 310,000 American children under the age of 6 have an unsafe level of lead in their blood. If left untreated, lead poisoning can result in brain damage; behavioral problems like hyperactivity; stunted physical development; high blood pressure; reproductive problems; memory loss; seizures; death; and a litany of other health concerns.

Children under the age of 6 are most at risk from lead because their bodies can absorb more of the metal, because their nervous systems are more sensitive to it and because their tendency to put their hands in their mouths often results in them ingesting more lead dust than an adult in the same environment would.

The unborn are also particularly at risk of lead poisoning. Despite being less susceptible, adults too can suffer physical ailments due to exposure to lead.

Rhonda Jones, public health preparedness coordinator for CCHD, said common symptoms of lead poisoning can include a lack of appetite, difficulty paying attention, headache, vomiting, problems sleeping, clumsiness and weakness.

“Lead has been found to be poisonous to red blood cells, the kidneys, the reproductive organs, bones and the brain. Even though lead-based paints were banned for use in houses in 1978, they are still the major source of lead exposure for our children,” Jones said. “Children from all social and economic levels can be affected by lead poisoning, but economically disadvantaged children are at a greater risk because they tend to live in older houses that are more likely to contain lead.”

While a single, toxic dose of lead can cause severe symptoms, Jones said it is much more common for lead to slowly build up in a person’s system over time — most likely from repeated exposure to small amounts of lead.

According to Jones, the amount of lead in a person’s blood can be determined by a simple blood test. She said any result with more than 10 milligrams of lead per deciliter of blood would be sent to the Department of State Health Services for further analysis. A concentration of over 70 mg/dl is considered to constitute an emergency.

Although deteriorated lead paint and lead-contaminated house dust remain the most common ways lead is introduced into our bodies, Jones said people often come into contact with lead in ways that they may not even be aware of.

“The glaze from pottery and stained glass windows has lead in it, and if a parent works around those things they could be bringing the lead dust back with them into their household,” she said. “Other sources of lead include automobile batteries and traditional home remedies for upset stomach like azarcon, greta or pay-loo-ah.”

Vehicle batteries are such a potent source of lead that Congress passed a bill in August of last year banning the sale to youth all terrain vehicles and motorcycles. That bill, the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008, took effect Feb. 10.

Lead can also be found in some tap water, but that is usually due to aging pipes and not the local water supply.

Jones offered several tips to help lower a child’s risks from lead:

• make sure children don’t have access to peeling paint or chewable surfaces painted with lead paint;

• pregnant women and children should not be present during renovations to a home built before 1978;

• create barriers between living/playing areas and lead sources until they can be removed;

• regularly wash children’s hands, toys and pacifiers;

• wet-mop floors and wipe windowsills every couple of weeks;

• avoid eating candies imported from Mexico;

• make sure cookware, tableware and containers are lead-free; and

• prevent children from playing in bare soil.

“Lead poisoning can be prevented by removing sources of lead from a child’s environment. If you are concerned about your child being exposed to lead, talk to your doctor. A simple blood test can rule out or diagnose an elevated blood lead level,” Jones said.

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