CHILDHOOD LEAD POISONING PREVENTION PROGRAM (CLPPP) |
What is Lead Poisoning and How Does It Occur ? |
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Lead poisoning hurts many parts of the body, but it is especially dangerous to children’s developing brains. A child with lead poisoning can have learning and behavioral problems.
The most common way that children
get lead poisoned is through lead dust in the home. Tiny particles of lead from
old lead paint become part of house dust. The lead dust gets on children's hands,
toys and other items. Children 6 years and younger are most at risk, because
their bodies are still developing and because they often put things into their
mouths.
It is very important to know that most children with lead poisoning do not act or look sick. A lead test is the only way to know if your child has been poisoned by lead. Ask your doctor or health provider
to test your child.
Lead-based paint in housing built prior to 1978 is
a major source of lead exposure. The older the home, the more likely that there
are high levels of lead in the paint. Chipping paint, flaking paint, or paint
that is being scraped, sanded, or disturbed during remodeling or repairing can
create lead dust. Lead-based paint is of a particular concern in Marin County, where more than 74% of the
housing was built before 1978. |
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| Wash your child's hands frequently. Wash pacifiers and toys. Wet-mop floors, wet-wipe surfaces, especially window sills. |
| Soil |
| Soil may be contaminated by paint chips and deposits from emissions of leaded gasoline used in the past. |
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| Cover bare dirt where children play with plants, paving stones, concrete, or bark. This keeps lead in the dirt away from your child. |
| Occupational Exposure and Unsafe Lead Work Practices |
Parents who work in certain jobs involving painting and construction or working with batteries, radiators, cables, inks, dyes, and
glazes can expose their families to lead by bringing lead dust to their homes on their bodies, clothes, and shoes.
List of lead-certified professionals in California
Reducing Lead Hazards When Remodeling Your Home |
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| Change out of work clothes and shoes, and wash up or shower. |
Never sand, dry scrape, power wash or sandblast
unless the paint has been tested, and does not have lead in it. |
| Other Sources |
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| Some dishes and clay cookware contain high levels
of lead in the glaze or decoration. Terra cotta bean pots and dishes from Mexico
are especially hazardous and should be used only for decoration. A lead test
kit, available at the hardware store, can be used to test ceramics for lead.
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Imported and older dishes and clay pots
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Home remedies (bright orange, yellow, or white powders)
like Greta, Azarcon, Paylooah, or Liga used in some cultures to treat certain
illnesses contain large amount of lead. |
| Azarcon and Greta |
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Make-up like Surma and Kohl used in some cultures
for health and beauty can contain large amounts of lead. Children treated with
these products can get very high amounts of lead. |
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Certain cosmetic products (Surma, Kohl) |
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Most fishing sinkers are solid lead. Keep lead fishing
sinkers and tackle boxes out the reach of young children.
Never melt lead to make your own sinkers. Consider
switching to sinkers made from other metals. |
| Fishing Sinkers |
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Some candies from Mexico, and other countries, are made with chili and tamarind , and they may contain lead. |
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