Recursos Para Eliminar Los Riesgos de Plomo
¿Vive usted en una casa o apartamento construido antes 1978? ¿Tiene usted niños menos que 6 años? ¿Vive usted en el Condado de Hennepin? ¡Entonces usted quizás sea elegible para servicios para controlar el peligro de plomo! La solución para prevenir el envenemiento de plomo es eliminar la fuente. Eso puede ser muy costoso y peligroso sin la instrucción apropiada. Afortunadamente en este momento en el Condado de Hennepin hay los recursos de ayudar las familias identificar y arreglar los peligros del plomo en su casa. ¡Llame al 612-872-3282 para averiguar más! ¡Hablamos Español!

Resources to Remove Lead from Your Home
Do you live in a home or apartment built before 1978? Do you have children under the age of 6? Do you live in Hennepin County? Then you might be elegible for FREE lead hazard control services! The number one way to prevent lead exposure is to remove the source. That can be a costly and dangerous endeavor without the proper training. Luckily right now in Hennepin County there are resources to help families identify and remediate dangerous lead hazards in their homes. Call 612-872-3282 to find out more!! Hablamos Español!

LEAD POISONS CHILDREN
Amy Doeun, Staff Writer, HMONG TIMES

Published Wednesday, February 16, 2005

Even though the Twin Cities has just experienced record breaking high temperatures most homes have been closed to the outdoors for at least 3 months. In a recent study the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) listed indoor air pollution as higher then outdoor air pollution. This becomes a particular problem in areas where families do not open their windows for the winter season.

HMONG TIMES spoke with Megan Curran, director of education and outreach at the Sustainable Resource Center. According to Megan one of the biggest dangers to children is in older homes all year round. For any home built before 1978, the majority of homes in the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area, there is a possibility that lead could be poisoning children. The danger comes primarily from lead based paint which was in common use before 1978 when the EPA banned lead in residential paint. There is still lead in some marine paint, used primarily for boats, and the white and yellow paint used on our streets.

Curran says that, “if the paint is intact you can safely live with it.” It is when paint is chipping or used on floors where there tends to be a lot of friction that there can be a problem. But the idea that most lead poisoning comes from chipping paint is a myth according to Curran. In children who tested positive for lead poisoning there was a steady increase. If a child were ingesting lead through paint chips you would expect a “spike” of the lead level in the blood according to Curran. But that is not the case. This has led researchers to believe the problem is actually lead dust from windows and doors. “If you have a door that sticks that is a problem.”

Children should be tested at 1 and 2 years of age for lead exposure. Once the lead is already in the blood stream it is too late and neurological damage can result. The important thing is to catch the exposure early and remedy the problem. The first step would be to replace any old windows and keep all trim and paint in good condition. Many times parents do not find out there is a problem until their children attend school. By this time many children have been exposed for 4-5 years.

Other sources of lead include some imported canned goods and home remedies including Ghasard, a brown powder, Bali goli, a flat black bean, and Kandu, a red powder which are used to treat intestinal problems. Also pay-loo-ah a red powder which is used to treat fever or rash contains lead. For people who work in demolition, construction, and painting this risk can be higher when they bring dust home on their clothes. While these situations can cause some exposure “95% of poisoning is due to lead based hazards [paint].” The lead in pencils is not really lead, but rather graphite, and therefore does not cause any problems.

The Silent Poison: Childhood Lead Poisoning
By Karla J. Walker, Pharm.D., DABCC, FACB

Nearly half a million children under the age of 5 in the United States currently have blood lead levels high enough to cause irreversible damage to their health. Adults and children are both at risk for lead poisoning, but children are more vulnerable because their growing bodies absorb lead more readily. While many parents remain unaware, this silent poison may be damaging their child's life and future.

Lead can affect almost every organ in the human body and is particularly harmful to the developing brain and central nervous system of a fetus and young child. The most important step in treating a poisoned child is to end the exposure by removing the lead source from the child's environment.

The most common source of lead exposure is dust found in older homes containing lead-based paint. This dust may be easily ingested through hand-to-mouth activity typical of young children. Paint chips, lead lead-contaminated soil, drinking water, food, ceramics, herbal home remedies, toy jewelry, hair dyes, and other cosmetics are also potential sources of lead exposure found in the home.

The term silent poison refers to the fact that lead-poisoned children may exhibit no outward symptoms. While he or she may seem perfectly healthy, irreversible damage may be occurring. A blood lead test is the only way to find out if your child has been exposed.

To encourage more parents and guardians to take this preventive step, a less-invasive blood lead screening technique geared for the pediatric population was developed and is available at

numerous doctors' offices and clinics. The filter paper lead screen, such as the one offered by MEDTOX Laboratories in St. Paul, Minnesota provides an accurate result with only two drops of blood. This test can replace more traumatic venous and capillary tube collections as an accurate screening tool.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that children be screened at both 12 and 24 months of age, or at least once by age 6 if they have not yet been tested. Screening should start as young as 6 months if the child is at an elevated risk for lead exposure. One group of children at higher risk is those who live in or regularly visit a home built before 1978.

In addition to a blood test, there are some simple steps parents can take to prevent or lessen the threat of lead exposure (see sidebar). Even if precautions are taken, children should still be screened at the recommended intervals. Severe poisoning may result in anemia, severe stomachache, muscle weakness, and brain damage. Less-severe and less less-apparent cases of exposure can still affect a child's mental and physical growth, as well as affect cognitive and behavioral development.

Unborn children are also at risk, as they can be exposed to lead through their mothers. Harmful effects may include premature birth, low birth weight, decreased mental growth, and stunted physical growth after birth.

Great effort has been exerted over the past 25 years to remove lead from gasoline, paints, and additional products in the United States. The overall decline in average blood lead levels over that time frame reflects the success of these efforts, but because lead does not break down or decompose from past use, childhood lead poisoning remains a major, preventable health problem today.

For more information on lead poisoning or to find out whether you qualify for free lead-abatement services, contact the Minnesota Department of Health Lead Program (651-215-0890) or Sustainable Resource Center (612-870-4937). For more information on filter paper lead screening, call 1-800-FOR-LEAD. H

Dr. Karla J. Walker, is the director of clinical toxicology at Medtox Laboratories, located in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Preventing lead poisoning: Five simple precautions

1. Keep your home clean. At least once a week, wash areas such as hard surface floors and window sills. Use a solution of water and an all-purpose cleaner.

2. Stay away from peeling paint. Make sure your child does not have access to peeling paint and does not chew on painted surfaces such as cribs or window ledges.

3. Leave your shoes at the door. Don't bring dust into your home.

4. Wash regularly. Wash your child's hands often with soap and water, especially before meals, snacks, naps, and bedtime. Wash toys, pacifiers, and bottles often with soap and water. Stuffed toys, in particular, accumulate dust and should be washed often.

5. Eat healthy foods. Have your child eat healthy meals and snacks throughout the day. Less lead is absorbed when children have food in their systems. Feed your child food that is high in calcium, iron, and vitamin C, such as milk, cheese, fish, peanut butter, and raisins. Don't eat serve them too many fried or fatty foods. These foods allow the body to absorb lead faster.