Lead Poisoning
Prevention
Lead poisoning may be prevented or limited by removing the source of lead in your home or workplace and by eating a healthful, balanced diet.
The most common sources of lead are peeling or chipping lead-based paint and lead in dust or soil. Paint chips are easily crushed into dust in the home or into the soil around the house. Older, industrial buildings may have been painted with lead-based paint. When these buildings are remodelled, dust containing dangerous levels of lead can contaminate the air and soil. Houses built before 1972 probably have some amount of lead-based paint, and homes built prior to 1950 often have the highest level of lead-based paint.
Levels of lead in the blood can be reduced through regular housecleaning by crews trained to reduce leaded dust on surfaces.14 Cleaning includes wet-mopping floors, damp sponging of walls and counters, and vacuuming with a high-efficiency vacuum.
If you want the paint in your home tested for lead, call your local health unit or your provincial ministry of health. They may do it for you or give you the names of companies experienced in doing such tests.
Other sources of lead include:
- Renovation, remodelling, or repainting of older homes.
- Jobs or hobbies that involve exposure to lead.
- Certain traditional or natural medicines or cosmetics (such as surma, also called kohl, used in some mascara).
- Leaded crystal or lead-glazed pottery.
- Food, such as vegetables grown in lead-contaminated soil or food from lead-soldered cans. Some cans not manufactured in Canada or the United States may have lead soldering.
- Water from faucets in homes with lead or lead-soldered copper pipes.
- Polluted air, particularly near lead smelters or other industries that use lead.
- Some "natural" remedies or supplements, such as some herbs or vitamins from India.4
- Some printing materials, such as ink used in print on plastic bags.
- Some vinyl plastic items, such as mini-blinds manufactured outside of Canada or the U.S. before 1996.
Certain measures can prevent or reduce exposure to lead. If you have lead in your house paint, soil, or drinking water, you may want to consider the following:
- Tips if your home is contaminated, such as wiping toys, windowsills, door frames, and uncarpeted floors with a wet cloth or damp mop twice a week with warm, soapy water.
- Tips if your drinking water is contaminated, including letting cold water run for a few minutes in the morning before using it for drinking or cooking.
- Tips for nutrition and food preparation, including making sure children get enough iron in their diet.
- Tips if you have a job or hobby that involves working with lead, such as showering and changing clothes and shoes at work before getting in your car or before you come home, to prevent bringing home lead dust on your clothes and hair.
Ensuring balanced nutrition may prevent or reduce lead poisoning. People who get enough vitamin C, iron, zinc, calcium, and phosphorus are less likely to absorb lead than are people who have inadequate diets. Frequent meals or snacks help prevent lead poisoning, because lead is not as easily absorbed on a full stomach. People who eat high-fat diets absorb more lead, as do people with iron deficiency.
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| Author: | Douglas Dana Sydney Youngerman-Cole, RN, BSN, RNC | Last Updated: September 26, 2006 |
| Medical Review: | Michael J. Sexton, MD - Pediatrics Tom Bailey, MD - Family Medicine R. Steven Tharratt, MD, MPVM, FACP, FCCP - Pulmonology, Critical Care, Medical Toxicology | |
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