You may expect that lead paint in the home is a long-forgotten folly of a bygone era, but you may be surprised. According to a recent article from The New York Daily News, Bronx mother Tiesha Jones has finally been awarded $57 million after NYCHA was proven to have falsified inspection results, testing for lead based paint in her public housing residence. Tragically, this payout will do little to reverse the damage suffered by Tiesha’s young daughter Dakota, who was found to have nine times the normal amount of lead in her system at the vulnerable age of four.
Little Dakota has already displayed signs of delayed development and is receiving an individual education plan for special education as a result of some of the effects of lead poisoning. The Mayo Clinic lists a variety of symptoms associated with lead poisoning, ranging from irritability, sluggishness, and difficulty concentrating, hearing loss, seizures, and miscarriages. Chronic exposure to lead potentially leads to irreversible brain damage, as well as damage to the kidneys and nervous system in both children and adults. These are all potential impacts of being exposed to lead but is not always the case.
The use of lead-based paints has been outlawed in the United States since 1978, but the dust and chips of old paint are still the leading source of lead exposure. Children living in older homes may be exposed to some remnants of this paint, even if it has been largely replaced. Adults conducting renovations in any building built before 1978 may be at risk of exposure, and should take precautionary measures to ensure their safety, and that of other residents. The dust from this paint must be contained with the use of wet scraping and wet sanding techniques and use of poly plastic to catch and control the dust. Regular maintenance of any chipping or damaged paint, as well as regular vacuuming and dusting may also go a long way in helping to prevent exposure to lead paint in the home.
Tiesha’s story stands to prove that the sanctuary of one’s own modern home may not be safe as expected from the harmful legacy of lead paints. Especially for those who are raising a family, it is important to understand the very real risks of lead paint in the home.
We all know that lead is bad for us; we’ve heard it hundreds of times. However, we may not realize just how serious a threat to the well-being of our loved ones–especially our children–and ourselves, lead is. Lead in the body is distributed in the brain, liver, kidneys, and bones. It is stored in the teeth and bones where it accumulates over time. Children are especially sensitive to lead poisoning as they will naturally absorb close to five times as much lead as an adult, have natural curiosity and hand-to-mouth age-appropriate behavior. This leads to severe learning disabilities and can ultimately cause death, which is why proper lead paint treatment is so important.
So, what is the solution?
Whether you are a homeowner or landlord, you will typically have three options when dealing with lead paint: encapsulation, removal, or treatment.
Encapsulation is a viable method for areas that are free of contaminants, cracks, and moisture. They must be applied at a specific humidity and temperature. The disadvantages are that the encapsulant may peel off and expose lead paint, leaks may damage encapsulants, and they require constant maintenance and monitoring to ensure that they are not leaking dangerous lead into the environment.
Treatment
Removing lead paint completely from the home often does take more time and money than encapsulating, but it is a much better long-term solution to lead, especially if children under the age of 6 visit your home or live in your home. Lead is a dangerous neurotoxin, especially to young children. Our lead paint treatment product does more than encapsulate the lead. ECOBOND® – Lead Defender® seals and treats the lead and lead dust in lead-based paint, the molecules in our paint chemically bond to the lead when in contact with it, rendering the threat of airborne particles or damaged surfaces dramatically reduced. That way you know that your family is safer–and you’ll save some money looking at thousands of dollars in costly removal fees. And we all know that when you’re considering the safety of your family, nothing short of the best will do.
ECOBOND® Paint LLC is the Premier Provider of Environmental Products focused on protecting human health from the dangers of lead. Enjoy Greater Peace of Mind from the Dangers of Lead Paint When You Use Our Proven & Patented ECOBOND® Family of Environmental Paints! Now includes Bitrex® a bitter-tasting additive to discourage oral contact!
To learn more, view lead paint treatment video or download free Industry Report: http://www.LeadPaintRemovalReport.com
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