Lead Poisoning is 100% PREVENTABLE. Children 6 years old and younger and pregnant women are most at risk. This is because fetuses and children 6 years old and younger are still going through major developmental phases and children absorb lead into their bodies more readily than adults.
Currently the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) considers a child to be lead poisoned when his/her blood lead level is at or above 10 µg/dL. However even lower levels of lead in the body can cause harm. PREVENTION IS KEY!
DO NOT REMOVE LEAD PAINT yourself. Contact the DC Department of the Environment or check out their website for updated list of certified Lead abatement contractors.
Wet clean your furniture and floors with special attention to impact areas.
Be sure to clean children’s play areas often.
Wash children’s hands as often as possible, but mainly before and after eating, playing and napping.
Lead Abatement Practices
Lead abatement means to reduce lead hazards safely as not to create more exposures.
Home surfaces should be tested to verify the presence of lead.
Professional contractors exist that are trained to safely remove lead hazards from homes and buildings. DC law requires using a certified abatement contractor. Abatement can be an expensive option. But, the government of Washington, D.C. has a program to assist home or property owners with the costs of abatement, the Lead Safe Washington Program. There is an application process and eligibility requirements. You can find their website here.
The effected area should be closed off from the rest of the house/building with plastic sheeting to ensure that lead dust is not spread around. Furniture and carpets should be removed.
Only individuals wearing personal protective equipment should be allowed to enter the abatement area.
Type of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) that should be used includes:
Disposable coveralls
Respirator
Goggles
Shoe covers
Gloves
Methods of Abatement Include:
Enclosure: This can be the easiest of all methods. The lead paint is covered with a wall covering. This is typically done for large surfaces such as walls.
Replacement: This method completely removing the door, window or molding that is covered in lead paint and replacing it with a new one.
Paint Removal: This method involves completely removing lead paint. This however will create lead dust and should be performed by a certified professional.
Encapsulation: This method not only covers but seals the effected area with a specific coating. This is less expensive but may not be used for all surfaces.
Be Sure to AVOID:
Scraping dry paint
Sanding the painted surface
Using a heat gun or burning the surface with a torch
Sandblasting the surface
Chemically removing the paint
Chelation Therapy
The CDC only recommends Chelation Therapy for blood lead levels greater than 45 µg/dL. Chelation Therapy is the term used to describe the process in which drugs are administered that will bind to heavy metals such as lead and assist the body in excreting the metals out of the body either through urine or bile. There is controversy over the use of chelation therapy as it has been suggested that it may remobilize lead that has been stored in the body (outside of the blood). For more detailed and updated information, you may visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.
