Are your kids safe from lead poisoning? More prevention measures needed, say pediatricians

A USA Today article published last week, “Pediatricians: U.S. not doing enough to halt childhood lead poisoning,” explained that American’s aren’t taking enough of a proactive approach to protect their kids from lead poisoning. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, even though lead poisoning has been in the headlines a lot recently, Americans need to step up preventative measures to ensure their kids aren’t being exposed to lead. A study published in the Journal of Pediatrics found that in 6 U.S. zip codes, at least 14% of the children tested had high levels of lead in their blood. That’s very serious.

Are you concerned about your kids being exposed to lead? You should be. If your house was built before the late 1970s, it probably contains lead. The most common source of lead exposure comes from paint that chips off the walls. As kids play on the floor, they end up getting lead chips and dust on their hands, which eventually go into their mouths.

Another common source of lead exposure is soil that’s been contaminated by old paint. As kids frolic in the grass and in gardens, they often explore with their hands and end up ingesting lead-contaminated soil. It’s a big problem that every parent should be aware of – if you have any doubt whether the area your kid is playing in is lead-free, don’t risk it.

Why is avoiding lead exposure important?

Just a generation or two ago, almost every building contained lead. Justifiably, many people wonder, why is lead exposure such a big deal? They may think, “well, I was probably exposed to lead as a kid, and I turned out fine.” But that’s not the case for many people who were exposed to lead as children – particularly those who had high levels of lead in their bodies throughout their childhoods.

Lead exposure can cause serious developmental issues. At high levels, it can even cause brain damage. Problems with paying attention, low IAQ, and a host of other problems can develop in children who are exposed to lead – even at low levels. There is no save level of lead exposure. Even low levels of lead exposure can cause major developmental problems that can impact entire lifetimes.

Make sure your kids are safe from lead exposure

If you have any doubt about whether your home is contaminated with lead, contact Southern California’s lead experts. They’ll be happy to come conduct a thorough evaluation of your entire home – including its soil, water, physical property, and air. Using the latest tools, technology, and techniques, they’ll analyze your property and check for all common contaminants – lead, mold, asbestos, fungus, and more. Rest assured – if your property contains any harmful substances, we will find them.

Then we’ll come up with a detailed plan to thoroughly remove any contamination in the safest manner possible. We follow all safety precautions to the letter to make sure contamination doesn’t spread and so that you and your loved ones will always be protected from these harmful substances.

Schedule an environmental evaluation of your property – and make sure your kids aren’t being exposed to lead – by calling H2 Environmental Consulting Services at (800) 524-3578 today.