Lead - Your Safe Home
Our homes are not always safe places.
Sometimes things in our homes can be bad for our health. Lead is
one of those. Lead is a metal that has many good uses, but it can
hurt us and, most of all, our children.
Where is lead found?
Lead can be found in old paint.
Lead used to be in paint, but now that we know lead can hurt us,
paint is no longer made with lead. If your house has old paint on
the walls or woodwork, that old paint may have lead in it. As
paint gets old it crumbles off walls and woodwork. The old paint
becomes part of the dust in our house. Eating or breathing that
dust is how lead can get into our bodies.
Lead can be in the dirt around your
house.
If lead paint was used for the outside of your house, it can peel
off and crumble on the ground. That is one way lead gets into your
yard.
Lead can be in some jobs or hobbies.
If you work in a job where lead is used, it can come home on your
clothes. Hobbies, like making lead bullets or lead glass windows,
can bring lead into your home on clothing.
Who is in danger?
Children are most likely to get sick because
their bodies take in lead more easily when their bodies are
quickly developing Children who live in older homes with lead
paint are most in danger, because lead can be on things they put
in their mouths.
If you are remodeling an older home or removing
old lead paint, harmful lead dust settles on everything in your
home. It is especially dangerous for children six years and under,
and pregnant or nursing women. Lead in a mother’s body can harm
both her and her baby. Lead from remodeling projects can also harm
other children and adults in the home.
What happens to us when lead gets in our bodies?
Lead can hurt our bodies. Children can have hard
time learning, behaving normally, and paying attention if their
bodies have too much lead. Adults with lead poisoning may have
high blood pressure or damage to their kidneys or other organs.
Most people with too much lead do not seem sick until their health
problems become very serious.
How does lead get into our bodies?
Lead gets into our bodies through our mouths and
noses.
For example:
- Lead may be in our food or water.
- Lead may be in dirt that children have on
their hands. Then it gets into their bodies when they put their
hands in their mouths.
- Lead may be in dust that becomes part of the
air we breathe.
- Lead may be in the paint or lead dust on toys
and pacifiers that children put in their mouths.
- Lead may be on painted wood that children
chew, like old cribs.
How can I find out if my home has lead in it?
If your home was built before 1978, it may
contain lead paint. Tests can be done on your house dust, water,
dirt, and paint to find out if they have lead. Many hardware
stores have home lead tests that cost $5- $10 for a few samples.
Call the Minnesota Department of Health to learn about more
extensive testing.
Should my child be tested for lead?
Have children tested if:
- the child lives in Minneapolis or St. Paul
- the child receives services from Medical
Assistance (MA)
- they live or play in older homes
- they live or play in older homes that have
remodeling projects
- their home is near heavy traffic.
- their brothers and sisters or friends have
too much lead in their blood.
Ask your doctor to test your child's blood to
find out how much lead is in it, because the only way to know is
to test.
How can I protect my child?
Remove lead paint from your home if you
can.
Removing lead paint can be costly and harmful if not removed
safely. Check with your local health department to find funding to
fix lead problems. Call the Minnesota Department of Health at
(651) 201-4610 for advice on how to remove lead safely. Have your
child stay somewhere else while lead is being removed and lead
dust is cleaned up.
Cover walls and woodwork when old paint
is coming off if you can't remove the paint.
This will keep children from coming near it.
Wash your children's hands and faces many
times a day, especially before they eat or go to sleep.
Wash your children's toys often,
and anything else they put in their mouths.
Clean areas that have lead paint on them.
Feed your child well.
A healthy diet helps keep children from lead poisoning. These
are examples of foods that will help keep your child healthy:
milk, red meat, dried beans, fruits, vegetables, and cereals and
infant formula that have iron added. Eating more healthy foods
like these and fewer fatty foods like chips and chocolate will
help protect your child.Make
outdoor play areas safer.
If dirt in your childrenโs play areas has lead in it, cover the
area with grass, shrubs, or wood chips.
Put a rug that you can wash in
front of the door to your house.
Have everyone wipe their shoes on the rug before they come in
and leave their shoes by the door. Then dirt with lead will not
get tracked in. Wash the rug often.
Make your water safe.
If your water has lead in it, or if you don't
know whether your water has lead:
Do not use hot water from the sink for
cooking, making baby formula, or making foods or drinks. Always
use cold water and heat it.
Run your cold water for 1 or 2 minutes before
using it every morning.
What is the most important thing I can do?
Ask your doctor to test your children for lead. If they have
too much lead in their blood, talk to your doctor about what
should be done to protect your children. The Minnesota Department
of Health can also help you decide how to make your home a safer
place. For help with questions about lead, call (651) 201-4610.
Fact sheets for lowering children’s blood lead levels and cleaning
are available in Hmong at
http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/eh/lead.
- Authors:
- Marilyn Bode, Former Assistant Extension Housing Specialist,
College of Human Ecology
- Wanda Olson,
Dust
Wipe- Samples surfaces such as floors and window sills and
reports in mg/L that amount or lead present to compare to state
guidelines.