[picture_frame source_type=”url” source_title=”hazardous chemicals” source_value=”https://www.sadakafirm.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/skullandcrossbones1.png” align=”left”] Lead is dangerous, point blank. There are many possible symptoms of lead poisoning. It has been linked to behavior or attention problems, failure at school, hearing problems, kidney damage, reduced IQ, and slowed body growth. Lead can affect many different parts of the body. A single high dose of lead can cause severe emergency symptoms.
However, it is more common for lead poisoning to build up slowly over time. This occurs from repeated exposure to small amounts of lead. In this case, there may not be any obvious symptoms. Over time, even low levels of lead exposure can harm a child’s mental development. The health problems get worse as the level of lead in the blood gets higher.
Lead is much more harmful to children than adults because it can affect children’s developing nerves and brains. The younger the child, the more harmful lead can be. Unborn children are the most vulnerable.
Although gasoline and paint are no longer made with lead in them, lead is still a health problem. Lead is everywhere, including dirt, dust, new toys, and old house paint. Unfortunately, you can’t see, taste, or smell lead.
A new report from the CDC, “Take-Home Lead Exposure Among Children with Relatives Employed at a Battery Recycling Facility — Puerto Rico, 2011,” highlights an increasingly common source of lead exposure.
The study found that 16% of the employees at a lead recycling facility had children with elevated lead levels, most likely because of lead dust brought home by family members who worked at the facilities.
During November 2010–May 2011, four voluntary blood lead screening clinics for children of employees of a battery recycling facility in Puerto Rico were conducted. A total of 227 persons from 78 families had blood lead tests.
To determine whether take-home lead exposure contributed to the children’s high levels, vehicle and household environmental samples were collected and analyzed. Eighty-five percent of vehicle dust samples and 49% of home dust samples exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) level of concern. EPA began clean-up of employee homes and vehicles, focusing first on homes with children.
As lead recycling continues to increase, more should be done to make sure these workers and their children don’t develop lead poisoning, especially as simple things, like showers for workers, clean changing areas, and shoe washes, can go a long way towards keep lead dust from traveling into worker’s cars and homes. If you are in need of a Workers’ Compensation Attorney please click here to learn more.
