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Table of Contents
Introduction
Introduction
Lead is a type of heavy metal pollution, which can be found in soil, water, metal objects including old pipes and gadgets. It can also be found in vintage and antique tables ware such as glass or ceramic.
"Lead is persistent in the environment and can be added to soils and sediments through deposition from sources of lead air pollution. Other sources of lead to ecosystems include direct discharge of waste streams to water bodies and mining." "Elevated lead in the environment can result in decreased growth and reproduction in plants and animals, and neurological effects in vertebrates." - EPA: Lead Air Pollution: Basic Information About Lead Air Pollution
Dangers of Lead Pollution
Dangers of Lead Pollution
"Once taken into the body, lead distributes throughout the body in the blood and is accumulated in the bones. Depending on the level of exposure, lead can adversely affect the nervous system, kidney function, immune system, reproductive and developmental systems and the cardiovascular system. Lead exposure also affects the oxygen carrying capacity of the blood. The lead effects most likely to be encountered in current populations are neurological effects in children. Infants and young children are especially sensitive to lead exposures, which may contribute to behavioral problems, learning deficits and lowered IQ." - EPA: Lead Air Pollution: Basic Information About Lead Air Pollution
"Elevated lead in the environment can result in decreased growth and reproduction in plants and animals, and neurological effects in vertebrates." - EPA: Lead Air Pollution: Basic Information About Lead Air Pollution
Types & Sources of Lead Pollution
Types & Sources of Lead Pollution
Lead Air Pollution
Lead Air Pollution
"Sources of lead emissions vary from one area to another. At the national level, major sources of lead in the air are ore and metals processing and piston-engine aircraft operating on leaded aviation fuel. Other sources are waste incinerators, utilities, and lead-acid battery manufacturers. The highest air concentrations of lead are usually found near lead smelters.
As a result of EPA's regulatory efforts including the removal of lead from motor vehicle gasoline, levels of lead in the air decreased by 98 percent between 1980 and 2014." - EPA: Lead Air Pollution: Basic Information About Lead Air Pollution
Lead Soil Pollution
Lead Soil Pollution
Soil pollution can be caused by lead pollution in the air, or from bodies of water such as streams or even from events such as floods.
Solutions
Solutions
Lead Testing
Lead Testing
This can be a useful preventative, diagnostic tool. When we know where our sources of lead pollution are, we can work to clean up the lead pollution or replace and properly dispose of contaminated items.
You can buy lead test kits online or at your local hardware store.
Clean Home Practices
Clean Home Practices
Clean Floors
Clean Floors
"Wet-mop with detergent and water at least three times a week. Take your shoes off when inside. Use a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA Filter. And wash your child’s toys daily." - The Coalition to Prevent Lead Poisoning
Free Home Inspection
Free Home Inspection
"If you rent or own a home in the City of Rochester, call 585-428-6520 to request a free lead inspection. Renters, it’s your landlord’s responsibility to make sure your home is lead safe."
Meal Time Precautions
Meal Time Precautions
Eat Well
Eat Well
"Don’t skip meals—an empty stomach increases the risk of absorbing lead dust. Foods high in iron and calcium can also help lower your child’s lead poisoning risk." - The Coalition to Prevent Lead Poisoning
For Drinking Water
For Drinking Water
Brewing Clean Water: The Metal-Remediating Benefits of Tea Preparation "The study of adsorbent materials rarely extends beyond engineered systems. This research explores metal adsorption resulting from the preparation of tea, which is the most widely consumed beverage globally. Tea is brewed from the processed leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant, a material understudied, relative to its outsized economic and cultural importance. The features that make tea leaves ideal for their intended purpose also help them function as an efficient sorbent. In this Letter, the properties of tea leaves relevant to the adsorption of metal content in drinking water are measured and used to estimate, for the first time, the adsorptive performance under a variety of conditions of tea preparation, with an eye toward public health benefits. We find that the preparation of black tea under typical conditions results in the removal of a meaningful fraction of lead from drinking water and that this value is highly dependent on steeping time."
Wash Hands Frequently With Soap - Not Sanitizer!
Wash Hands Frequently With Soap - Not Sanitizer!
"Wash your child’s hands with soap and water—not hand sanitizer—before eating and after playing to reduce the risk of swallowing lead dust." - The Coalition to Prevent Lead Poisoning
Resources & Guides
Resources & Guides
Online Toolkit - Brochure "Toolkit for establishing laws to eliminate lead paint"
National Institutes of Health: Kid Page: Lead Poisoning "Web page dedicated to childhood lead poisoning."
Organizations
Organizations
Click the button to see a growing list of organizations that are helping to curb lead pollution and keep lead out of out of out air, food, water, soil, and homes.
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