October 22 – 28 is National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week. This year’s theme is “Together, we can prevent lead exposure!”
Get the Facts: Lead exposure is bad for everyone. However, it is especially an issue in children who are more vulnerable. There is no safe blood lead level.
There are several different ways a person can get lead into their body:
- Breathe in lead dust
- Swallow lead dust
- Eating lead-based paint chips or soil that has lead in it
- Drinking water that contains lead
Did you know, about half of the homes built before 1978 have lead-based paint? It can also be brought into the home on work clothes, shoes, hair, and even pets.
Get Your Child Tested: A child with lead poisoning may not show signs.
However, if action is not taken lead can harm health in ways such as:
- Damage to brain and nervous system
- Slowed growth and development
- Learning and behavior problems
- Hearing and speech problems
The best way to find out if a child has lead poisoning is to get a simple blood test. See your doctor to talk about this.
Get Your Home Tested: A good way to avoid lead poisoning to get your home tested. This is especially important if you live in a home built before 1978. If you’re considering a renovation project, test before doing anything. The work could disturb the lead paint or dust, harming you and your family.
There are a few different ways to look at your home.
- Lead Inspection: This tells you if the home has lead and where.
- Lead Risk Assessment: This tells you if your home has hazards for lead and what to do to address those.
- Test Your Drinking Water
Do your part! Together, we can prevent lead poisoning!
For more information on this topic visit https://www.epa.gov/lead/national-lead-poisoning-prevention-week or go here: https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/default.htm
For questions or to learn more, call Four Corners at 402-362-2621 or 877-337-3573 or email us at info@fourcorners.ne.gov
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