December 2007 - Get The Lead Out

With recent recalls and news reports about lead in toys, citizens may get the impression that only toys have dangerous levels of lead, and that lead is only a sever threat to children. However, Consumer Reports magazine recently reported that "lead is in an array of everyday items" around the home, many of these items not on any recall list.

Recent research published in the New England Journal of Medicine note that there could be harmful effects occurring at even lower levels of exposure than the federal standards, telling us that there is in fact no level of lead exposure that can be considered safe.

Over time, lead can actually build up in the human system, and once in the body, is very difficult to remove.

For children, even low levels of exposure to lead can result in reduced IQ, learning disabilities, attention deficit disorders, behavioral problems, stunted growth, impaired hearing, and kidney damage. At high levels of exposure, a child may become mentally retarded, fall into a coma, and even die.

In adults, lead can increase blood pressure and cause fertility problems, nerve disorders, muscle and joint pain, irritability, difficulty sleeping and memory or concentration problems.

Medical lead tests check the levels in the blood stream, but not the lead that has accumulated in the bones over the years. Since the human body treats the metal like calcium, as calcium levels in aging adults gets lower, the lead in the bones is absorbed back into the blood stream. According to Consumer Reports, "a portion of memory loss and other neurocognitive problems associated with ‘normal’ aging might be linked to our lifetime dose of lead."

Because of the potential damage to children, and the eventual loss of quality of life at an older age, consumers cannot depend upon any system to protect them from the harmful effects of lead exposure.

The Environmental Protection Agency recommends that children have blood level tests at age one, and again at age two. If the results show a level of 5 micrograms per deciliter of blood, there is potential for immediate and long-term damage.

To reduce the amount of lead your body retains, make sure your diet includes plenty of foods that contain iron, calcium and zinc. Foods rich in iron include eggs, raisins, greens, beans, peas, and other legumes. Dairy products such as milk, cheese, and yogurt are recommended for their high calcium content. Lean red meat and oysters are examples of foods that contain zinc.

To reduce your family’s exposure to lead:

Do not store alcohol in crystal containers. Many of these contain lead, which, when exposed to alcohol, is absorbed into the liquid. Let tap water run for a full minute before using any for drinking or cooking purposes as lead can be found in plumbing and faucets.

Do not chew on pencils. The paint on the outside could contain more lead than the middle.

Test for lead in your home. Do-it-yourself kits are available. Ranging from eight to ten dollars, they provide an affordable and easy method for detecting, and thus removing the lead from your home.

Use these tests on your children’s toys, especially those with bright colors and paints. Check your ceramic ware. Some pottery may contain lead that can leach into food and drinks, especially if the pottery was made in Mexico or another Latin America country, or in Asia.

Test jewelry, car and house keys, and any item made of plastic that is used often since there is no federal standard for lead in plastics. Test kits are also available to test the lead levels in drinking water.

For more information about the dangers of lead and lead-testing kits, visit the National Lead Information Center at www.epa.gov/lead/.  For recent recalls, visit www.cpsc.gov.