Lead Poisoning Prevention

by | air pollution, building biology, building materials, buildings and health, death, diet and lifestyle, health, heavy metals, indoor environmental health, lead

Lead Poisoning Prevention

Lead exposure and poisoning can occur in three different ways – primary, secondary and tertiary.

The primary way, is through direct exposure – eating paint chips, accidentally swallowing a lead sinker, consuming water or food that has been contaminated.

The secondary way includes exposure to dust from leaded petrol, consume plants that are grown in contaminated soil, and similar.

These first two methods of exposure can result in lead being stored in the bones, and potentially also the brain.

The tertiary way occurs when lead is released from its storage sites within the body and re-poisons you.

This can happen when you are pregnant, lactate and go through menopause.

This is because as people age, generally their bones leach lead back into the body.

It is interesting when you look at the list of health issues that can be related to lead poisoning and you see that many of them are generally considered to be “diseases of ageing” – dementia, cataracts, hypertension (high blood pressure) and more.

To share more about this topic, I had the privilege to discuss this topic with Lead Advocate, Elizabeth O’Brien.

Elizabeth O’Brien

In 2004, Elizabeth O’Brien was awarded the United Nations of Australia Association World Environment Day Award for Outstanding Service to the Environment.

As well, she has been involved in lead poisoning prevention for almost three decades and is the instigator of the International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week of Action.

I had the honour of catching up with this incredible environmental activist… here’s our interview.

  • We discussed how this Week of Action came about, and what the World Health Organisation is working on
  • Why it is important to act in prevention of lead poisoning (which includes safely removing it from the body)
  • The effects of lead on the body
  • Diseases of “ageing”
  • How to test for lead and the optimal limit
  • What sort of testing is reliable
  • The pros and cons of spot testing
  • Unexpected sources of lead – including in our diet (you will be surprised!)
  • Action that you can take
  • Where to get more help

Book a Virtual Indoor Environmental Health Assessnt and I can take you through sampling for BOOK HERE

#lead #leadpoisoningprevention #elizabethobrien #theleadgroup #leadsafeworld #interview #heavymetals

Lead Poisoning Prevention Week of Action

by | detoxification, health, heavy metals, indoor air quality, indoor environmental health, lead

Lead Poisoning Prevention is Essential

This last week of October recognises the risk of lead poisoning in our lives – this is international Lead Poisoning Prevention Week of Action.

Lead was the cause of the downfall of the Roman empire and it has been recognised as the cause of German composer Ludwig van Beethoven health problems, loss of hearing and early death.

Yet lead abounds in our daily lives – primarily from its previous use in petrol, but also in paints, water pipes, leaded crystalware, lead-light/stained glass, sinkers, ammunition, and potentially even in the imported painted toys that your children may have. The LEAD Group (2012) also point out that it can also be found in flashing (an important consideration if you drink rainwater collected from your roof), kohl eye and lip pencils, old metal toothpaste tubes, radiation shielding in hospitals, some PVC products, leadshot, painted pre-1970 furniture, road marking paint, painted china and so on.

Given that most of us spends more than 90% of our time indoors, it is always important to consider potential hazards.

Another important point is that lead is sweet – so children and animals may lick, suck on or even consume paint.

I had a quick chat about Lead Poisoning Prevention with Elizabeth O'Brien from The LEAD Group, which you can watch here.

The Silent Epidemic

Elizabeth O'Brien took part in the 2016 Environmental Sensitivities Symposium. Here is an excerpt from her chapter in the 2016 Environmental Sensitivities Symposium: Text Book.

Even though most of us have never been tested for lead and therefore have not been diagnosed with lead poisoning, we are all exposed to lead in the modern world, and every microgram (millionth of a gram) of lead and even every molecule or atom of lead, does damage in the body.

If you have other risk factors (for example, family history) for any of the huge range of health effects of lead there’s virtually no chance that lead will be identified as one of the contributors or causes (Vella et al, 2014). Also, unless you suffer overt lead poisoning – an extremely high dose acute lead poisoning, the symptoms of typical modern chronic lead exposure may not show up until years, or decades, later.

Thus lead poisoning is known as “the silent epidemic.”

Therefore, the number one action that you can take today, is to organise a test with your doctor to assess your blood lead level. Obviously zero is the goal, but The LEAD Group advocated taking action to reduce exposure if your result is not below 1 microgram/decilitre.

Signs and Symptoms of Lead Poisoning

In Babies and Children

The Mayo Clinic (June 2014) list the following symptoms of lead poisoning

In newborns

  • Learning difficulties
  • Slowed growth

In children

  • Developmental delay
  • Learning difficulties
  • Irritability
  • Loss of appetite
  • Weight loss
  • Sluggishness and fatigue
  • Abdominal pain
  • Vomiting
  • Constipation
  • Hearing loss

In Adults

According to the Department of Health and Human Services (2016) list out the following signs and symptoms (for adults and children), but do point out that “some children or adults may not have any symptoms at all.”

Symptoms of acute lead poisoning:

  • Muscle pains
  • Fatigue
  • Abdominal pains
  • Headache
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Seizures
  • Coma

Symptoms of chronic lead poisoning:

  • Irritability
  • Lack of energy
  • Loss of appetite
  • Learning disabilities
  • Behavioural problems
  • Poor school performance
  • Poor coordination
  • Impaired growth

In Dogs

Dr Becker (1997-2016) lists the following signs of lead poisoning for dogs:

  • loss of appetite
  • colic (pain, inflammation, gas or discomfort in the colon)
  • vomiting
  • diarrhoea
  • constipation
  • anxiety
  • hysterical barking
  • jaw champing
  • salivation
  • blindness
  • problems with coordination and movement
  • muscle spams
  • convulsions
  • abnormal posture from severe muscle spasms
  • pressing the head against a wall

Please consult your vet immediately if you notice the symptoms.

 

”If

#lead #leadpoisoning

References

Becker, Dr K (1997-2016) Signs and Symptoms of Lead Poisoning in Dogs (online) Viewed 25 October 2016. Available at http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2016/06/16/lead-poisoning-dogs.aspx

LEAD Group (4 June, 2012) Sources of Lead (online) Viewed 25 October 2016. Available at http://www.lead.org.au/lasn/lasn006.html

Mayo Clinic (10 June, 2014) Lead Poisoning: Symptoms (online) Viewed 25 October 2016. Available at http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/lead-poisoning/basics/symptoms/con-20035487

O'Brien, E “Save Lives by Testing for Lead” in Curran, L (2016) 2016 Environmental Sensitivities Symposium: TextBook Building Vitality, Melbourne

Department of Health and Human Services, State Government of Victoria, Australia (2016) Lead Exposure and Poisoning (online) Viewed 25 October 2016. Available at https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/lead-exposure-and-poisoning

Lead Reducing Your Exposure

by | babies, buildings and health, health, indoor air quality, indoor environmental health

Lead tends to be ubiquitous…

Lead tends to be all around us – thanks to the lack of knowledge and understanding about its health effects.

Sources of contamination include:

  • lead paint
  • windows with leadlighting
  • petrol/fuel
  • smelting
  • fertilisers
  • slag from industry used as soil or landfill
  • dust in ceilings and wall cavities
  • solder on water pipes
  • fishing tackle/weights

What Can You Do?

Choosing a Home

Firstly, if you can avoid it – do so.

If you are looking to buy or rent a home that is near industry, please reconsider.

Renovating, Remodelling or Repainting

Make sure you test for the presence of lead in paints before any renovations or repainting. (If you missed this step, test it right away.)

Lead test kits are available from paint and hardware stores.

If you are doing any of these activities, then make sure you are wearing a disposable tyvek suit, gloves and a P1 respirator. Also be sure to keep pregnant women, young children and pets out of the way – lead poisoning can be deadly.

There are some more tips in the video below.

Babies, Children and Animals… Some Great Tips:

All three spend a lot of time on the ground, so make sure the following become part of your daily routine.

  • Introduce (and enforce) a no-shoe policy – this will prevent lead dust from entering your home
  • Wash paws and feet if they have been outside where there is possible lead contamination
  • Make sure you wash hands before every meal AND before (and after) toileting
  • Wet dust and mop your home, including sills and ledges – use sugar soap or detergent
  • If there is lead dust, then using a 3-bucket system*, as advocated by the LEAD Group
  • Ensure your vacuum cleaner has a HEPA filter, or is cyclonic
  • Consider where the painted toys are from – choose ones from Australia
  • Where there is bare soil, create barriers in play areas – such as mulch or play mats to prevent contact
  • Wash toys, dummies and so forth regularly

And a video

Here is the 3-Bucket System recommended by The LEAD Group.

lead

I personally don't like Step 5. Instead, I suggest finding another safe way to dispose of the water – ask your local council.

An alternative would be to clean with Bamboo Microfibre Cloths and dispose of them.

#lead #LEADGroup #ecohealthsolutions

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