Lead in Soil Puts People’s Health at Risk

Lead-contaminated soil may endanger the health of children and adults.

Lead in outdoor spaces, such as people’s backyards, parks and playgrounds, may imperil the health of children and adults across the country. Elevated lead levels in dirt pose significant risks for children, especially young children under the age of six. Kids exposed to dangerous levels of lead may experience mental deficits, developmental delays, behavioral problems and other issues. A recent article details high lead levels in a Brooklyn neighborhood, Greenpoint, tying the lead found in many backyards to substantially higher rates of lead poisoning. Lead in soil may result from industrial uses, the past use of leaded gasoline and lead-based paints and other causes. Parents in many parts of the country feel concerned about lead exposure for their children. In South Florida locations like West Palm Beach, Hollywood, Fort Lauderdale and Miami, can have properties tested for lead by firms that offer lead remediation miami services.

Neighborhoods across South Florida could potentially contain harmful levels of lead in their ground, which can cause health problems for children as well as adults. Lead poisoning can result in abdominal pain, difficulty in concentrating, memory problems, joint pain, muscle pain, headaches and other symptoms. Other symptoms include constipation, appetite loss, irritability, seizures and mood disorders.

Some neighborhoods in and around Miami have also tested at unacceptably high levels of lead. According to the US National Library of Medicine, a 2006 study found residents faced high risks of lead exposure in a number of inner-city neighborhoods. Children playing in contaminated parks and ballfields could face major health challenges due to their exposure to lead-contaminated soil and lead-based paints. Companies that perform lead removal fort lauderdale services can help Miami-area residents determine the level of risk they face from lead and minimize that risk in various ways. Contact top lead abatement south florida businesses across the region to learn more about dealing with lead contamination.

Lead Pipes in Old Homes and Water Systems a Concern for Many

People can potentially get exposed to lead through tap water.

Millions of people across the United States regularly use water that travels through lead pipes. Although relatively safe, the water in many places often tests high for lead levels, higher than recommended, prompting many people to seek solutions to the problem of lead pipes. Lead exposure can prove dangerous to people of all ages, but especially for young children. Lead can damage the nervous systems and other organ systems of children, causing developmental delays, behavioral problems, diseases and other problems. Some South Florida residents, especially those who live in older neighborhoods, may have to contend with lead-related problems. To test for the presence of lead in your home, hire a licensed business that performs lead remediation miami work.

Municipalities that perform work on their water lines can inadvertently raise the risk of lead leaching into the water supply. Cities will typically notify residents about increased risks of lead exposure. Cities may, for example, advise residents to boil their water or avoid drinking it. Companies that offer lead removal fort lauderdale services can help homeowners determine their risk levels regarding lead and develop solutions for the problem of lead in water, as well as lead in soil and lead-based paints.

As seen in Flint, Michigan, improperly-treated water and contaminated water can cause lead to leach from lead pipes into tap water, endangering anyone who uses or drinks the water. Lead exposure from Water, soil, lead-based paints and other sources can sicken people and cause damage to various organ systems. Children and elderly people may experience the most severe effects from their exposure to lead. People affected by lead may experience fatigue, hair loss, abdominal pain, kidney damage, nausea, muscle weakness, damage to the nervous system and more. Many residents of Flint fell ill from drinking, cooking with or bathing with lead-contaminated water.

Federal Programs to Curb Exposure to Lead-Based Paints may Face Cuts

Hire professional lead remediation south florida companies to properly eliminate lead-based paints.

Although people generally do not need to worry about the dangers of lead-based paints today, these dangerous and toxic paints do still have the potential to harm people, particularly children. Infants and toddlers who ingest lead may experience neurological problems like brain damage and behavioral disorders and fail to develop in a healthy way neurologically. Reports have indicated that two of the federal programs that aim to reduce childhood exposure to lead, the Lead Risk Reduction Program and the Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting Program, could face significant budget cuts under the Trump Administration. The programs provide training to contractors for proper removal of lead paint, among other objectives.

Housing built before the federal ban on residential use of lead-paint went into effect in 1978 may have lead paint on interior walls or exterior surfaces that could endanger people’s health. Residents in South Florida, as well as property owners and property managers, can hire licensed companies that perform lead remediation south florida work to safely eliminate lead paint from houses, apartment buildings, townhouses, condominiums and other structures in places like Miami Beach, Boca Raton, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Hollywood and West Palm Beach.

South Florida’s aging housing stock may put people’s health at risk if homes contain harmful building materials like lead pipes, asbestos and lead paint. Consumers can hire professional and state-licensed businesses to perform lead removal miami services to identify sources of lead in the home and properly eliminate the toxic metal from their residences.

According to a story in The Washington Post, the targeted EPA programs would lose millions in annual funding, severely hamstringing their ability to help states cut childhood exposure to sources of lead. Critcs of the programs have said that they create onerous burdens and add significant costs to remodeling projects and renovations. These critics contend that state-level programs could train contractors more effectively.

Link to article:  https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2017/04/05/trumps-epa-moves-to-defund-programs-that-protect-children-from-lead/?utm_term=.a8adc67f1cea