If you live in Oregon, you need to know that lead-based paint was used in many older houses and can still negatively affect the health of those living in older houses, especially children. If you notice signs of lead-based paint poisoning in your child, take immediate action. From ancient times, it has been known that contact with lead can pose serious health risks, yet civilization has found countless uses for this toxic substance.
What wasn't well known, and what Portland lead-based paint attorneys are now communicating to their clients, is that scientists have proven the dangers of even coming into contact with the most minute amounts of lead. While many toxic substances pose little or no danger at lower levels of exposure, no such lower threshold exists for lead. Any contact can produce serious health problems.
Signs of Lead-Based Paint Poisoning in Children
Children are especially susceptible to lead paint poisoning. When lead is present in young, still developing bodies, a wide variety of physical and neurological dangers are possible, including:
Extreme and persistent nausea;
Insomnia;
Seizures;
Kidney damage;
Reproductive difficulties;
Cognitive impairment;
Learning disabilities;
In many cases each year, death.
Sadly, many of the horrible effects of lead are irreversible, leaving the exposed child to suffer the consequences of lead poisoning for the rest of their life. Portland lead-based paint attorneys understand the difficulty and expense required to deal with a child who has been incapacitated due to contact with lead-based paint.
Is lead-based paint still in use? Should I be concerned?
From 1940 to 1960, more than half of all homes built in America were coated with heavily leaded paint. It was 1978 before the use of lead in paint was reduced to just 0.06%. Even very cautious parents may not realize just how easily their children can be exposed to lead-based paint. While no longer used in the manufacture of house paint sold in Oregon, children can still be exposed to lead in many different ways.
- Many older Oregon homes still have lead-based paint on walls and ceilings.
- Lead-based paint is still being used in the manufacture of some children's toys, particularly those imported from China. A leading manufacturer and importer of children's toys, Mattel, was recently forced to pay for lead testing for millions of children who were put at risk by products sold by the company.
- Something as simple as tap water can have traces of lead, either through ground contamination or, in some cases, old plumbing pipes containing lead
- Contaminated dinnerware and tableware can also contain trace elements of lead.
Being Aware and Taking Care
Portland lead-based paint attorneys advise having children screened for lead poisoning if you suspect your child may have come in contact with lead in any form. But what you should know about lead is that it's not only children who can be affected. Adults can suffer from increased blood pressure, decreased sperm count and nerve and organ damage if they ingest even small amounts of lead. Of course, adults don't tend to put children's toys in their mouth, nor do they eat paint chips that flake off walls (a common method of ingestion in very small children).
Common Ways Lead-Based Paint Dust Poisons People
This is not the most common way, however, for lead to get into the system. The inhalation of lead dust is the number one source of lead poisoning. Lead dust can be created and inhaled/ingested in a variety of ways:
- Opening and closing windows with lead-based painted frames can generate lead dust. Remember, it only takes a minute trace to cause damage.
- Walking on small paint chips that have fallen to the floor can allow lead into the bloodstream.
- Old lead-based paint peeling from walls can put lead dust into the air.
- Adults sanding down old painted surfaces suffer a high risk of exposure to lead dust.
- Settled lead dust can even be distributed back into the atmosphere by sweeping, dusting or vacuuming
It's possible to get testing kits to determine whether lead is present in your home. In addition, samples of paint can be sent to labs for testing, which is a more expensive but more reliable method of ascertaining the levels of lead in your home.
Lead is a toxic substance that is present all around us. Particularly harmful to children, its effects are potentially devastating and irreversible. Knowing what to watch for, both in terms of symptoms and sources, is the key to protecting your family. And if you feel you have been affected by lead-based paints, contact a Portland lead-based paint attorney, who will advise you of your rights and options.
