Lead is a harmful element which when inhaled or comes in contact with the skin can lead to deterioration of the health. It is important to know about lead poisoning and especially you must be aware of the things which are present in your own house which can cause lead poisoning, so that you can prevent it.
Here are some of the common house hold items which can act as a source of lead in your house:
- Your furniture:
Do you love your old wooden chair or sofa set? If you do, you must know the harmful element that old wooden furniture has on it, yes it contains lead. Most of the furniture crafted in the past was painted with lead containing paints. The furniture which was painted with this kind of paint seemed to have longer durability. But, on long term use, the family members can get affected by the lead. So, its better to get rid of your old furniture and replace it with the items which don’t contain lead in any form. Many of the newer furniture also contain lead, but the use of such paints had widely reduced. If you want your and your family’s safety, get your old furniture replaced right now.
- Drinking water:
The lead can contaminate your drinking water due to the plumbing system made of lead or copper. There are lesser chances of your water being contaminated but it is also not an impossible thing. You cannot assess the presence of lead in drinking water by its smell or taste. The only way to find it out is by sending your water sample to a professional water quality checker. So, get your water examined immediately to protect yourself from lead poisoning.
- Toys:
Many of your children’s toys may be painted with lead containing paints. You must make sure about this before you purchase any toy from the store. Many of the old toys contain lead and are really harmful.
- Soil near your house:
In the older days, there was a high concentration lead in the gasoline. When the vehicles pass by, the fumes released by the vehicles could have been deposited on the bare soil near your house. This might bring lead in your home. Also, there might be chips of paints which may be present inside the soil which will ultimately end up in your house.
- Paint (the commonest source):
The most common way of lead infiltrating your house is the paint. If you are living in a house which was constructed before 1978, there are good chances that the paint may be lead containing. If you are living in a newly constructed house, you are on a safer side. Just make sure that the paint in your house is lead free. Also, you must be more concerned if the paint is starting to peel off because this is the one which causes poisoning.
- Ceramic plates and pottery:
Many of us like the beautiful ceramic plates and we eat our food off those plates but you must know that those plates contain lead. Also the pretty pottery in your house may also contain lead. So, don’t just look at the beauty of such things, think how harmful these things are and avoid their use.
These were the most common sources that could cause lead infectivity in your house on long term use. There are many people who are uninformed of all this information, so please spread the awareness about lead poisoning. After reading this article, please make sure that you and your friends and family don’t have any chances of lead poisoning by way of above given sources. Thank you!