We all know that a well known health risk in the home could be the presence of lead or lead based materials. Sadly those most at risk category of being affected by it are babies and small children. There is even a risk to unborn babies. How concerned should you be about the possibility of lead presenting a danger in your home? How much of an issue could it cause?
A home built around 40 yrs ago or more, has a great chance of being painted with lead paint. It can be found both in the exterior as well as the interior of the house.
One of the greatest issues you could encounter is lead paint chips or paint dust. This can even be found in the soil around the home.
Lead piping was also something used in plumbing systems. This could have an effect your drinking water.
What about old furniture or antiques? There is a good possibility that may also contain lead paint.
Should I always be concerned about lead in the home?
It depends what kind of condition the paint is in, if it is in very good condition, then it won’t present so much of an problem. The bigger concerns come when this paint begins to get damaged and chip or peel, this is when you should do something about it.
When paint is knocked, dented or scratched, which anyone with children knows is an everyday occurrence, this causes dust. When the paint was lead paint, then there is a problem, as dust will settle just about anywhere it can. As the household touches these dusty areas then they will get lead paint dust on themselves. This is especially problematic for children who inevitably touch it and breathe it in.
As we’ve mentioned, lead can also be found in soil. Treading in this soil can easily happen as it is transported on shoes and boots.
If you feel concerned about lead in your home, our next article will discuss what can be done about it.
