With so many scary stories about lead poisoning making the news, increasingly more folk are troubled whether they've been exposed to lead.
On the downside, lead is sort of difficult to spot, so you may not be able to recognize exposure until you already have a lot in your body. In order to sense lead poisoning and be assured that everything is all right, you can perform a lead home test, as follows:
Short term effects or early traces of lead poisoning include anemia and stomach aches, while the consequences of long term exposure include hearing difficulties, Attention Deficit, intelligence Problems and hyperactivity. Lead can also damage tissues, as well as enzymes and the nerve system.
You can find lead in old paint, paint cans, old products, gas and old pipes. Even items that are not used can still make us sick, as they're buried in landfills. You can drink lead if it is in the water, consume it if it is in the ground or in polluted food and breathe it in paint chips and dust.
Small children particularly should be tested for lead exposure at 12 and 24 months and three to six years old. If you think your kids have been exposed, you will be required to answer various questions about exposure. If you live in an older home or spend some time near any person working with lead, there us a change they might be exposed.
Lead poisoning has effects on children particularly because they are still growing, and they're more vulnerable. Lead poisoning can affect children ‘ intelligence, as well as how they perform in class.
Buy a lead home test kit to check your house for evidence of exposure. You can test objects that might contain lead by holding them near the tester and observing the colour. One colour means safe, while another means lead.
If you think you have been exposed to guide, get a blood test as soon as achievable. Testing kits may show lead in an environment, although not the lead that's in your body. So as to establish the quantity of lead in your body, a medical test is necessary. You can either go to a medical lab or call your local health dept.
If the test results show 10 mcg of lead or higher, you have cause for concern and you need to repeat the testing, while any amount over 45 mcg is not very safe. The levels of mcg considered threatening may fluctuate from one state to another, or from one province to another, so be certain to check with your local health dep..
Matt Brown is a licensed home inspector and he wrote this article inspired by his site, www.HomeInspectionCourse.net , where he provideshome inspectiontips and environmental guidelines
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