Lead Testing Services
NJ: Lead in Paint: IS IT SERIOUS?
The observation of the risks of exposure to lead is a mandatory diagnosis for the sale or rental of a dwelling built before 1949 During this diagnosis, lead testing services NJ is searched for in the paintings of the dwelling using a specific detector, whose shape you will remember as a hair dryer if you see a diagnostician using it, and whose price you will remember worthy of a golden hair dryer if you are a diagnostician yourself
Sometimes owners or tenants, to whom the presence of lead in their home is announced, are seized with a feeling of panic that is not always very well hidden, and not really justified either, as we will see in this article
WHAT ARE THE DANGERS OF LEAD IN PAINT?
Lead ingestion causes lead poisoning The main risk of the presence of lead in paints is therefore the ingestion of said paint by a child The risks for an adult are very low for two very simple reasons:
The amount of lead paint to eat before observing effects on the body of an adult is significantly higher than for a child
Adults don't eat bits of paint they find on the floor
The danger therefore only exists if the paint containing lead comes off or flakes off, and pieces fall within the reach of small children.
WHAT IS MEASURED DURING A LEAD DIAGNOSIS?
The device used during a lead diagnosis measures the lead concentration of a surface. The device measures this concentration over a thickness that is sufficient to detect lead in the visible layer of paint, but also in old layers, as well as in layers of paint under wallpaper or upholstery It is therefore quite possible that lead is detected on a wall that has just been repainted: this simply indicates that lead paint was once used there.
SHOULD WE WORRY A LITTLE OR A LOT?
The presence of lead in the paints of your home certainly represents a real danger, especially if children live under your roof, but it is easily controllable As soon as the paint in question peels off or flakes, you must remove the pieces that are likely to fall and then put on a coat of paint For this work, it is important to take the necessary safety precautions (wearing a mask, vacuuming up waste, evacuation to suitable collection centers) and it may be preferable to entrust this service to a professional
The paint containing lead must therefore simply be maintained with great rigor!
If you prefer not to have to worry about this once you move in, it is also possible for you to have all the coats of leaded paint removed by a specialized company like lead testing services NJ
The different manifestations of lead poisoning
The absorption of lead in the body can take the pulmonary , digestive and sometimes cutaneous routes and can cause the following manifestations:
● anemia and infection of the renal tract
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● abdominal pain and neuropsychiatric disorders
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● high blood pressure and paralysis
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● blood infection
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● for the youngest, sleep, memory and mood disorders
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However, lead poisoning is difficult to spot because these symptoms may be due to other causes Only a doctor and an analysis can determine this poisoning The set of manifestations caused by lead is referred to as lead poisoning
Who are at risk
Everyone is affected by lead poisoning, however children are the most vulnerable , especially those under 6 years old because they easily put their hands in their mouths. Medically speaking, the digestive absorption of lead is twice as high in children as in adults Their nervous system being in full development, they will be more sensitive to the effects of lead
Lead paint and pregnancy
Pregnant women are also among those at risk , especially the fetus, because lead crosses the placental barrier. In the event of suspicion or exposure to lead, it is advisable to carry out a blood lead level during the 4th month of pregnancy The elderly are also among those potentially contaminated because they have been exposed to large quantities of lead in the past
