Once again we have stumbled across information about the dangers of lead exposure. While not specifically related to lead in drinking water, a common source of lead exposure, the information did catch our attention and we think all parents and care providers for children should know about.
Lead levels below the ‘accepted safe’ limit of 10 µg/dl in the blood of children may have damaging effects on their intellectual and emotional development. ( source )
Back in the early 1990’s the United States Center for Disease Control set the action-level for lead levels in blood at 10 µg/dl and since then evidence has come to light that levels a lot lower may cause irreversible damage to children’s nervous system.
A recent study showed that children with lead in blood levels between 5 µg/dl and 10 µg/dl performed worse on standardized tests than children with lead in blood levels below 5 µg/dl.
For more detailed and specific information on the matters just discussed, please refer to Medical News Today.
The more we read about the dangers of lead exposure the more strongly we feel about making sure the water we drink and serve our children contains as few contaminants (like lead) as possible. We also think it very wise to test the paint on (older) children’s toys and on surfaces in the home.
Why? Simple: The United States Center for Disease Control and the United States Environmental Protection Agency have not always viewed lead as a toxic compound and at one time it existed in many forms and in many places in our everyday lives. Not all of those lead-containing items have found their way to facilities for proper disposal yet. others have already found ways to pollute our drinking water sources w/ their toxins as a result of improper disposal in landfills or illegal dump sites.
Recent advances in the field of heavy metals testing have made it possible for the average person to test for lead in paint, lead in water, and even lead in themselves quite easily, conveniently, and without spending hundreds of dollars.
Oh, and you don’t have to have a degree in chemistry, either!
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