How old is your home? If it was built before 1978, there’s a chance that its woodwork contains lead-based paint. Though the use of lead-based paints for homes has been banned in the United States since 1978, many people live in homes constructed before then, and those homes probably contain lead-based paint used in a bygone era before it was known to be detrimental to people’s health.
Lead poisoning occurs when lead builds up in a person’s body over a period of months or years. Little kids who eat lead-paint chips can end up with serious mental and physical problems. Adults who do home renovations and are exposed to lead-based paint and lead-contaminated dust are also at risk. In the old days, lead pipes, brass plumbing fixtures and copper pipes soldered with lead were commonly used in homes. Unfortunately, they could end up releasing lead particles into tap water.
Lead can get into the air, water and soil such that precautions need to be taken if and when a person lives or works around an area with high concentrations of lead.
How do you know if you have lead poisoning? With children, look for developmental delays, learning difficulties, irritability, loss of appetite, vomiting, constipation and other symptoms. As for adults, some lead poisoning symptoms include muscle and joint pain, memory loss, decline in mental functioning, mood disorders, abdominal pain, constipation, and high blood pressure. Pregnant women should be especially careful to avoid exposure to lead as it could harm their unborn child.
First Choice Inspectors of Chicago regularly conducts home inspections. During these inspections, your inspector can look for signs of peeling or chipped paint. Keep in mind that the lead material used in old paint only becomes a health hazard when it is disturbed. If the inspector finds that your home has old paint that’s disturbed, he or she may advise you to seek a professional renovation company to properly remove the old paint.