Lead belongs to the carbon group of heavy metals. It is a chemical element with Pb symbol. It is a malleable metal with blue-gray color. Usually this heavy metal is used in construction building, bullets, batteries, fusible alloys, weights, cable covering, solder, collapsible tubes, and radiation shields. This metal is widely used as a combined ingredient to other metal in order to create an alloy or another chemical compound. Also, it is used in making plastics as stabilizer.
Lead is known as the heaviest element among the non-radioactive metal group. Like other chemical elements, it is considered as a neurotoxin metal. Once this neurotoxin has been accumulated by your bones and soft tissues, it will cause lead poisoning. Lead poisoning in the history happened during the time of ancient Greece, ancient China, and ancient Rome.
How lead poisoning occur?
Lead poising happened when it builds up in your body. It enters through ingestion and inhalation. The effect won’t happen overnight. It takes a period of time to feel its negative impact on your body. Lead can cause severe to fatal health problems. Children aging six and below are very vulnerable to this kind of high level lead exposure.
Generally lead exposure mostly occurs in the industry sectors including manufacturing, transportation, wholesale trade, remediation, recreation, and construction. Lead is really an important heavy metal for various types of industrial process and businesses.
Environmental exposure to this metal may affect your family and home most especially young children. Yes, young children are at higher risk from lead poisoning. It will severely affect their mental development process which may cause different mental impairment such as growth delays, poor IQ, and learning difficulties.
What are the common sources of lead poisoning?
- Lead-based paint
- Lead-contaminated dust
- Lead-contaminated water, soil, and air
- Storage Batteries
- Kohl eyeliners
- Ethnic medicines
- Sink faucets and pipes
- Art supplies and paint sets
- Lead figures
- Pottery
- Jewellery
- Toys
- Household items
Lead exposure should be prevented for health reasons. It affects blood cells production and calcium absorption which are vital to human body processes. Young children might be exposed to lead through their parents who are working. Yes, they can be carrier of lead dust from their shoes and clothes. The good thing is you can protect your home from lead poisoning.
How can you protect your family from lead exposure?
- Test your drinking water if it is free from lead.
- Practice regular washing of your children’s bottles and toys.
- Do not use lead-based paint in your house.
- Practice regular hand washing.
- Maintain cleanliness inside your home to become free from dust.
- Test the lead level in your blood if possible.
- Avoid drinking water from lead pipes.
- Avoid canned goods or painted toys from other countries.
- Avoid using lead-based ceramic dishes.
How can you avoid lead poisoning if you have no clue where you can possibly get it? The only way to determine is through testing. However, it is not practical to test everything inside your home. Awareness about possible sources of lead products is the best thing to do as parents and future parents.