Lead in Public Housing a Potential Health Risk

Older public housing complexes across South Florida may contain lead paint, potentially affecting people's health.

A recent story about community health centers in Los Angeles talks about the risks of lead exposure in public housing facilities, particularly those built before 1978, when the use of leaded paint largely ceased. If consumed, lead in paint can endanger people’s health, affecting people’s nervous systems, digestive systems, musculoskeletal systems and other bodily systems. The dangers of this toxic heavy metal led to its declining use, but lead left over from the 1970s and earlier can still endanger people’s health. Top lead remediation companies across Florida can help clients, including homeowners, superintendents, property managers and housing authorities, safely deal with this harmful contaminant. Hire companies that provide lead removal miami services to eliminate lead from houses, hotels, apartment complexes, schools and other locations across the city and across Miami-Dade County.

During Florida’s population boom after World War II, many housing complexes went up across the state to serve the growing population. Many of these facilities and complexes, in places like Miami, Tampa Bay, Orlando and Jacksonville, used lead paint on exterior walls, interior walls and other surfaces. Lead paint could also rest on neglected playground equipment, stair handles, boundary walls and other surfaces across such communities. Lead paint chips can most seriously impact the health of young children, who may consume paint chips, unaware of the dangers. Lead poisoning can cause long-terms problems for the nervous systems of developing children. People who suspect that their homes or communities contain lead paint can hire leading lead remediation orlando firms to test for lead and properly get rid of lead.

Lead exposure can result in an array of problems, affecting adults and children, although exposure to lead has the most severe impacts on young children. Lead can impact the development of children’s brains and lower their IQs. Women exposed to lead can pass lead to developing fetuses during pregnancy, according to the World Health Organization. Lead exposure can also result in kidney damage and increased risk of high blood pressure.

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.

Signs of Dangerous Lead Exposure

This map shows areas where people face higher risks of lead exposure.

Certain areas of Palm Beach County, and the greater South Florida region, may face elevated risks of lead exposure, according to some research. A map produced by the media company Vox and the Washington State Department of Health provides a detailed look at geographic areas’ risk level for lead poisoning, grading on a scale of 1 (lowest exposure) to 10 (highest). Exposure to lead can cause a plethora of conditions, affecting young children most dramatically, but also impacting adults. Although South Florida residents may live in high-risk areas, they can hire top lead abatement firms to assess the particular lead risk level in their homes. People who live in area like Highland Beach, Delray Beach, Boynton Beach and Boca Raton can hire businesses that offer lead removal boca raton services to remove dangerous sources of lead.

Licensed and professional lead abatement companies may work across the greater South Florida region helping clients in commercial settings and residential scenarios eliminate sources of lead, like lead paint and lead pipes. Companies that perform lead abatement fort lauderdale work can help property owners in locations like Oakland Park, Wilton Manors, Miramar, Pompano Beach, Sunrise and Hollywood evaluate their properties for dangerous levels of lead.

The following guide explains some of the warning signs of exposure to harmful levels of lead.

• Elevated Blood Pressure: Lead exposure can cause people’s blood pressure to rise.

• Joint Pain: People’s joints and bones may feel achy and weak due to high levels of lead.
• Muscle Pain: Some people experience muscle pain from lead exposure.
• Mental Lapses: Exposure to lead can cause people to make flawed decisions.
• Memory Loss: People may have difficulties in remembering details and events when exposed to lead.
• Headaches: People commonly complain of headaches due to exposure to lead.
• Abdominal Pain: Some people complain of abdominal pain and other gastrointestinal issues because of exposure to lead.