Lead toxicity is medically defined as the increased levels of lead in one’s body and that it disturbs the proper body functioning. It affects proper development of nervous system and also hampers the growth, the learning and understanding patterns in children.
From a long time, lead toxicity has been associated with people who live in old houses that have paint peeling and falling off the rooftops. However, recent researches have proved otherwise. A study conducted on US children said that a large number of children under the age of five suffered from this contamination. This is a bad news for many households across US as this contamination is bound to hamper the growth cycle of their little ones.
Lead finds its way into the digestive system of the young ones in more than one ways. The peeling paint falls on ground. Infants who crawl from one room to another often pick it up and aim these things at their mouth, from where; slowly this chemical gets into the stomach and release toxins that are harmful for the body. Some of the common effects range from loss in appetite, vomiting, anemia to constipation and abdominal pain.
Lead paints have been banned for long, but at some places these are being used still. You may also have observed that your old cupboards are still coated in the same paint from your grandfather’s time. Now it is high time that you change all that. Such paints release toxic vapors at the time of application. When inhaled these may pose dangers for health. These days, many paint companies are coming up with lead-free paints and are giving them a large advertising space. It is advised to go for such paints.
However, one noticeable point is that paints are not the only cause of lead toxicity. A number of below mentioned reasons are there to prove that.
- Many toys have found to contain high levels of lead. In order to make these toys appealing to infants, manufacturers coat them using different colors. However, to keep the manufacturing costs under control, paint quality is compromised.
- Pottery is often painted using inferior quality products, Glazed pottery is generally coated using lead based paints.
- When old lead pipes in houses develop cracks, some of the lead escapes into water and finds its way into your very own water jug.
Lead toxicity should never be taken lightly and if any symptoms are seen, doctor should be consulted immediately. Because, it is a well known saying ‘Prevention is better than cure’.
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