Child lead poisoning in Sacramento: Here are signs, sources and prevention measures
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Lead Poisoning in Sacramento
Sacramento County has some of the worst testing rates for lead levels in children, an audit found. Looking at the kids who do get tested, the county also had the second-highest number of vulnerable kids under 6 with concerning lead levels.
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Symptoms of lead poisoning in children
Almost half a million children ages 1 to 5 in the United States have high blood lead levels. And unlike your typical rashes and fevers, lead poisoning can result as a build-up over a period of months or years, according to Mayo Clinic.
And while adults can get lead poisoning, younger children are more susceptible.
“They often put their hands and other objects in their mouths that can have lead dust on them,” according to Stanford Children’s Health. Additionally, their developing bodies absorb lead easily and their brain and nervous system are more sensitive to the effects of lead.
Last year, The Bee reported that nine census tracts in Sacramento had a large number of children under 6 years old test positive for lead poisoning. This includes areas in Sacramento City, Carmichael, Foothill Farms and Arden-Arcade. And Sacramento has some of the worst testing rates in the state, according to an audit.
High concentrations of lead in the body can lead to mental and physical development delays and seizures, and can be fatal, according to Mayo Clinic.
Here’s what you need to know about lead poisoning and what you can do to protect yourself and your family:
Sources of lead poisoning
According to the World Health Organization, lead exposure can come from environmental and occupational settings.
Individuals can inhale lead due to the burning of materials that contain the chemical and they can ingest it via lead-contaminated dust, water and food.
“Children’s innate curiosity and their age-appropriate hand-to-mouth behavior result in their mouthing and swallowing lead-containing or lead-coated objects, such as contaminated soil or dust and flakes from decaying lead-containing paint,” the organization said.
Robert Menald, a lead inspector assessor for Titan Environmental Solutions, said the most common lead source in residential settings comes from lead-coated materials that have either aged, weathered, deteriorated, or been compromised from remodeling and become dust.
Menald, who is certified by the California Department of Public Health, added that lead can also come from water due to potentially corroded pipes.
Other sources that may contain lead include pottery, toys, herbal medicines and tamarind, according to Mayo Clinic. People who work in auto repair, mining, construction and battery manufacturing may also bring home remnants of lead on their clothing.
Symptoms of lead poisoning
According to Mayo Clinic, lead poisoning can be hard to detect.
“Signs and symptoms usually don’t appear until dangerous amounts have accumulated,” the clinic wrote on its website.
Generally, in newborns, signs of lead poisoning include premature birth, low birth rate and slowed growth. In children, symptoms range from learning difficulties to fatigue, abdominal pain and hearing loss.
And while high levels of lead is more common in younger people, adults may also experience it. The clinic said adults with lead poisoning may experience memory difficulties, mood disorders and high blood pressure.
Precautions parents should take
Parents can take precautions and prevent lead poisoning by testing their homes.
“I would start with the house,” Menald of Titan Environmental Solutions said.
He said parents should look out for paint chips or foreign dust in indoor and outdoor areas and wherever their children spend most of their time in the house. If possible, parents should also check their children’s caregiver’s space and schools.
He recommends that they reach out to lead sampling technicians or assessors who are certified to detect lead in homes, instead of at home test kits.
“They’re not the most reliable,” said Jeff Van Slooten, a state certified lead inspector. He added that people may not use it correctly when testing specific surfaces.
Slooten said people should hire inspectors that use equipment and analysis based on X-ray florescence because you can find out how high or low the levels of lead are in paint.
Regular housekeeping is also important.
Slooten said damp mopping, instead of sweeping, will prevent dust from being redeposited into the air. Also, he recommends using a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter rather than standard cleaners.
“You need the HEPA vacuum because it has this extra fine filter in order to capture that lead dust,” he said.
Other precautions, according to Mayo Clinic, include cleaning toys, removing shoes before entering the house, avoiding playing on soil and eating a healthy diet.
Treatment
The CDC advises that if you suspect that your child has come in contact with lead, you should contact your child’s healthcare provider.
A blood lead test is often used to determine lead exposure, since some children may not show symptoms of lead poisoning, the agency said.
If they do have traces of lead in their system, the physician will recommend necessary treatment.