Safe tips for protecting yourself from lead

Lead can cause several health complications, and it is commonly found in paint and water. Here's how you can check your home for lead and how to safely remove it.

• Lead sometimes leaches into drinking water, and it may be in the fumes emitted by various substances as they burn or melt. It may also appear in old paint, where it can chip or flake off into fine dust, and lead to brain retardation in children as well as brain damage and chronic liver and kidney diseases in all ages.
• Even at low levels, lead poisoning in children has been traced to permanent disabilities and behavioural problems. For peace of mind, you can have your children checked for lead exposure with a simple blood test.
• Although your house may be lead-free, your children can be exposed through dirt on playgrounds or along city streets.

Most homes built before 1960 contain heavily leaded paint. Lead paint, even in good condition, is a special problem in locations such as windows where painted surfaces rub against each other. But any lead paint is now considered hazardous to young children.

• Lead can be detected in paint using any of several types of tests. Testing kits are available in hardware stores, but their accuracy is questionable.
• Contact your health department for recommendations.

In many homes, the original copper pipes supplying water were soldered with a material containing lead; and occasionally, the pipes themselves may be lead.

• You can identify a lead pipe by pressing it with a knife or screwdriver. If you can make an indentation easily, the pipe is lead and should be replaced.
• Some older cities still use lead pipes as part of their underground public water system.
• To deal with the lead problem, these cities add trace amounts of phosphate to the water. This coats the pipes, reducing to safe levels the amount of lead leaching into the water.
• If you suspect lead in your water, contact your provincial or local health department or your water supplier for information on how to have your water tested.

If lead is found in your water, it can be minimized by installing an under-sink filter that is certified for lead removal.

• Renovations that involve removing and disposing of lead paint should be done by a specialist wearing a ventilator mask and protective clothing.
• Check online for a certified lead paint removal contractor in your area.

The health of your family is your top priority. Keep these tips in mind if you suspect your house contains lead, and clear it up as soon as possible.