Low-Level Lead Exposure

The Romans were aware that lead could cause serious health problems, even madness and death. However, they were so fond of its diverse uses that they minimized the hazards it posed. Romans of yesteryear, like Americans of today, equated limited exposure to lead with limited risk. What they did not realize was that their everyday low-level exposure to the metal rendered them vulnerable to chronic lead poisoning, even while it spared them the full horrors of acute lead poisoning.

http://www.epa.gov/history/topics/perspect/lead.htm

LEAD SHOCKER

Unpainted plastics are also made with lead yellow, red and orange are big offenders.

Blood-Lead Levels have declined by 75% in the US

Since the virtual disappearance of leaded gas in the United States (it's still sold for use in propeller airplanes), the mean blood-lead level of the American population has declined more than 75 percent. A 1985 EPA study estimated that as many as 5,000 Americans died annually from lead-related heart disease prior to the country's lead phaseout. According to a 1988 report to Congress on childhood lead poisoning in America by the government's Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, one can estimate that the blood-lead levels of up to 2 million children were reduced every year to below toxic levels between 1970 and 1987 as leaded gasoline use was reduced. From that report and elsewhere, one can conservatively estimate that a total of about 68 million young children had toxic exposures to lead from gasoline from 1927 to 1987.

http://www.globalleadnet.org/advocacy/initiatives/nation.cfm

Environmental Lead Levels Related to Increased Death

Johns Hopkins University

The researchers evaluated the association between blood lead levels and mortality in 13,946 adult study participants, who were part of the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Initially recruited in 1988-1994, they were followed for up to 12 years. The mean blood lead level of the study participants was 2.58 µg/dL, which is well below levels currently considered safe by the U.S. government. Blood lead levels above 2 µg/dL were associated with an increased risk of heart attack and stroke mortality.

http://www.jhsph.edu/publichealthnews/articles/2006/guallar_bloodleadlevels.html

Lead is used to make fireworks, other pyrotechnics and, rubber.

Lead sulfate (PbSO₄), also known as anglesite, is used in a paint pigment known as sublimed white lead. Lead chromate (PbCrO₄), also known as crocoite, is used to produce chrome yellow paint. Lead nitrate (Pb(NO₃)₂) is used to make fireworks and other pyrotechnics. Lead silicate (PbSiO₃) is used to make some types of glass and in the production of rubber and paints.

http://education.jlab.org/itselemental/ele082.html

Brass pipes are made of lead

Chrome-plated faucets are generally made of brass, which contains 3 to 8 percent lead. Contamination can occur when water comes in contact with these fixtures. The pH (acidity or alkalinity) of the water affects how easily lead dissolves from pipes, solder, or fixtures into the water. Corrosive water (which has a very high or very low pH) can dissolve lead from the supply pipes, faucets, or solder and flux used to connect copper pipes. Water can be tested to determine whether it is corrosive. Soft (water with a low mineral content), acidic water readily dissolves lead from the pipes or solder of household water systems.

http://www.grayenvironmental.com/lead_in_drinking_water.htm

Links for Lead Events in Portland, Oregon

Check this link for more Lead Safe events in Portland
http://www.co.multnomah.or.us/health/lead/

The Josiah Hill III Clinic offers free blood lead screening at the clinic and at lead safe events.
http://www.jhillclinic.org/schedule.html

The Portland Development Commission has a machine that screens toys for lead. http://www.pdc.us/new/releases/2007/1019.asp

The Community Energy Project offers Lead Poisoning Prevention Workshops
http://communityenergyproject.org/lead/

Is there lead in your lawn furniture?

White lead (lead carbonate) is produced by directly dissolving metallic lead or dissolving lead oxide by the addition of acids. It is a white powder used as a white pigment in the manufacture of paints for outdoor use or as a stabilizing agent in the plastics industry. It is supplied either as a powder (dry white lead) or as a paste (white lead ground).

http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:31979D0090:EN:NOT

Lead Posioning thru the Centuries

http://www.lead.org.au/fs/fst29.html

Lead Risk - Pewter

Today at the Lead Safe Portland event all of my keys and my pewter zipper pull tested positive for lead.
http://www.co.multnomah.or.us/health/lead/documents/leadfactsheet.pdf

Milagros - Local Portland Store

Milagros sells non-toxic mostly handmade toys. They were at the Lead Safe Portland event at the Matt Dishman Community Center giving away some of their beautiful wooden toys

Milagros
5433 NE 30th Avenue
Portland, Oregon

Toys at Milagros

http://milagrosboutique.com/?cat=36

CFL Bulbs Have One Hitch: Toxic Mercury

Some fluorescent replacement light bulbs contain mercury. http://www.treehugger.com/files/2005/06/what_about_merc.php
Scroll down to the middle of this article to read what precautions you should take if you break a fluorescent light bulb http://www.eartheasy.com/live_energyeff_lighting.htm I recently broke a fluorescent replacement bulb. I knew they contained mercury but, I did not know what precautions to take. A simple on line search would have done the trick. So much for "Oh I will just hurry and clean it up". This is also a great article on LED Lighting soon to be a great durable, mercury free alternative.
CFL Bulbs Have One Hitch: Toxic Mercury http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=7431198
The Price of Progress How Chemical Exposure is Killing Us Tom McGuire, DDS Dental Wellness Institute http://www.bottomlinesecrets.com/blpnet/article.html?article_id=38955
Heavy Metal Self Defense How Dangerous Is Mercury? Tom McGuire, DDS Dental Wellness Institute http://www.bottomlinesecrets.com/blpnet/article.html?article_id=36614
Toxic Waste What You Need to Know About Mercury Poisoning Tom McGuire, DDS Dental Wellness Institute http://www.bottomlinesecrets.com/blpnet/article.html?article_id=37578

Extensive Blood Lead Level Resources

I am sure many of you may know Thomas the Tank Engine had a huge recall earlier this summer. All toys made in countries that do not have strict lead standards are suspect. When I started inspecting my son's toys closely I noticed that even his plastic toys and one of his bath tub books are painted. Plastic toys that are not painted can also be made with lead. I also remember seeing chrome peel and chip from a shower caddy we once had. Could chrome also contain with lead? All of our son's die cast metal cars are made in China or Thailand. There are places parents in Portland can go to have a few of their child's toys tested for lead. Call the Community Energy Project at (503) 284-4962 http://www.communityenergyproject.org/ for more information. You can call the Josiah Clinic for information on free lead blood screening http://www.jhillclinic.org/. If a child's blood lead level is above 5 I would recommend a venous blood draw. It takes about 90 days for lead to leave a child's blood stream. A hair analysis is the best indicator of long term lead exposure.
As long as I watch my son's nutrition, make sure he does not play in bare soil, make sure his hands are washed before he eats, carefully screen his toys, etc he should be fine.
The Community Energy Project also helps residents reduce lead hazards in their homes. I have been doing many of the preventative measures shoes off outside, washing hands frequently, etc. I am now scrutinizing all of his toys. All of the recent recalls have made me very wary of any painted or plastic toys. How much lead has been absorbed by my son's bones and brain. Even if someone has a low blood lead level they are still at risk. Lead is an accumulative poison.

Lead that is not eliminated from the body is stored in the soft tissues and the bones with calcium.

If his body is ever in need of more calcium it comes with the lead from the bones.

Children with elevated blood lead levels are at risk for brain and nerve damage, behavior problems, learning disabilities, Slowed growth, Headaches and, Low energy.

How many candles do you have in your home? Can they cause lead poisoning? http://www.bottomlinesecrets.com/blpnet/article.html?article_id=30645

The Price of Progress How Chemical Exposure is Killing Us Tom McGuire, DDS Dental Wellness Institute http://www.bottomlinesecrets.com/blpnet/article.html?article_id=38955
Web MD http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/Lead-Poisoning-Topic-Overview

Children and Lead
There are no safe lead levels in children, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Since 1991 the agency has specified that levels higher than 10 micrograms per deciliter of blood are dangerous. Now the CDC has updated its guidelines in the wake of a new study that found that babies and young children with levels lower than 7.5 had below-average IQs. http://www.parents.com/parents/story.jsp?storyid=/templatedata/parents/story/data/lead_danger.xml
Research has found that children with levels higher than 2 mcg/dL are four times more likely to have ADHD, and experts believe that lead interferes with the body's production of the neurotransmitters in the brain that are essential for impulse control. "Kids who are already genetically predisposed to ADHD are at the greatest risk," says Parents advisor Judith Owens, MD, director of the Learning, Attention, and Behavior Clinic at Rhode Island Hospital, in Providence. "Lead probably acts as a trigger in these children." http://www.parents.com/parents/story.jsp?catref=cat1890038&page=3&storyid=/templatedata/parents/story/data/1186504265235.xml
Babies and toddlers are the most vulnerable because their brains are still developing and they absorb up to 50 percent of ingested lead (adults absorb only about 10 percent). Of course, they also spend lots of time crawling on the floor and putting their hands in their mouth, and because lead tastes sweet, leaded items can be irresistible.
Even unborn babies are at risk. A pregnant woman who has lead in her system is at increased risk of miscarriage, stillbirth, and preterm labor. But unless the exposure was recent, blood tests won't detect the toxin because lead eventually leaves the bloodstream and settles in bones. "If a woman with prior lead exposure doesn't get enough calcium in her diet, her body will pull the mineral from her bones to help her baby grow -- but lead comes with the calcium," says Michael Shannon, MD, chair of the AAP Committee on Environmental Health. Ask your obstetrician to give you the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) lead risk-assessment questionnaire; if you're found to be at high risk, eating a diet high in calcium can help protect you and your baby. http://www.parents.com/parents/story.jsp?catref=cat1890038&page=2&storyid=/templatedata/parents/story/data/1186504265235.xml
More lead information at Parents.com http://www.parents.com//parents/search/results.jsp?searchType=content&searchString=lead
You also can ensure that a child's diet is protective:
Make sure kids get four to six small meals per day (it is easier to absorb lead on an empty stomach).
Give children plenty of iron-rich foods (normal levels of iron protect against the harmful effects of lead). Iron-rich foods include red meats, fish, and chicken, iron-fortified cereals, raisins, prunes, and other dried fruits.
Make sure kids get calcium-rich foods (calcium reduces lead absorption). Foods high in calcium include milk, yogurt, cheese, spinach, kale, collard greens, and other green leafy vegetables.
http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/QA/QA353050/
More Search results on lead at Andrew Weil M.D. http://206.188.28.100/search?site=my_collection&client=my_collection&proxystylesheet=my_collection&output=xml_no_dtd&q=Lead&x=23&y=9
Andrew Weil M.D. also wrote The Healthy Kitchen with Rosie Daley. It is more than just recipes.

Chelation Therapy for Childhood Lead Poisoning: Does Excretion Equal Efficacy ? http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/Organizations/DDIL/chelation.htm
Chelation: Chelation therapy is indicated as soon as the diagnosis of severe lead toxicity is considered, even if a definitive blood lead level is not yet available. Chelation functions by binding with lead and forming a water-soluble complex that is excreted in urine. The efficacy of treatment may be monitored by postchelation decreases in blood lead concentrations, the finding of increased urine lead excretion, and the normalization of circulating delta-aminolevulinic acid dehydrase levels. http://www.emedicine.com/MED/topic1269.htm
Vitamin C
Over the years, we have all heard about the hazards of lead. These include lead paint ingestion by children, lead dust inhalation by miners and metalworkers, lead in solder used in plumbing, and leaded gasoline contaminating cattle. We know that lead poisoning can cause severe mental retardation. Lead has been clearly linked with Alzheimer’s disease.
We have been told to avoid lead in the home and to stop lead pollution of our environment. But we have not been told how to remove it from our bodies at home. No drugs are needed; vitamin C mega doses will do the job efficiently. Saturation, or “bowel tolerance” doses of vitamin C will chelate lead right out of a person. That is good news for everybody. http://www.doctoryourself.com/lead.html
The book Prescription for Nutritional Healing does list Vitamin C with as helping to neutralize the effects of lead pg 488. On pages 699 thru 701 this book extols the virtues of both oral and intravenous chelation therapy for conditions involving blood flow and heavy metals. The number of oral chelation agents listed is 13. The list does include Vitamin C with (copyrighted source). I personally love this book. If I could only have on holistic health book on my shelf this would be the one.
Lead poisoning is said to be the most common environmental illness of children in the US. The incidence varies with age, socioeconomic status, the population of a given community, race, and the age of the home. http://www.emedicine.com/EMERG/topic293.htm
The website to sign up for the US Consumer Product Safety Commission's recall list is http://www.cpsc.gov/cpsclist.aspx.
The State of Oregon also has a link to sign up for email notification of lead related product recalls http://oregon.gov/DHS/ph/lead/recalls.shtml.
DHS Oregon Public Health Alert: Lead-related CPSC Product Recalls complete listhttp://www.oregon.gov/DHS/ph/lead/recalls.shtml
.The Lead Line is another resource (503) 988-4000 http://www.co.multnomah.or.us/health/lead/leadline.html
High blood lead levels could even contribute to AUTISM http://blog.oregonlive.com/breakingnews/2007/06/toymaker_recalls_15_milllion_t.html. Scroll down to the bottom of the page to parent comments.
It is shocking. Could their be a link? I did know that lead can cause learning problems. Now I know from the information I received today from the Josiah Hill III Clinic that lead can also cause brain and nerve damage, behavior problems, acting out, slowed growth, headaches and, low energy. Could their be an AUTISM link?
I also found an Autism Lead Poisoning Group on Yahoo Health http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/Autism-Lead/?yguid=278730631
The LeadedKids egroup was set up by the Global Lead Advice and Support Service (GLASS) on July 17, 2006 to help parents, teachers, doctors and carers of children with lead poisoning. http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/LeadedKids/?yguid=278730631
The Global Lead Advice and Support Service (Glass) website is http://www.lead.org.au/fs/fst1.html
I also have 3 health books that mention lead poisoning (one I have already mentioned): The Sav-on Health Self-Care Advisor pg 253, I picked up this free book from either a Osco, Savon or Albertsons Drug Store. The World's Greatest Treasury of Health Secrets Lead and chronic fatigue pg 39 Lead Dangers pgs 313 & 319 Lead and Obesity pg 156 Does pool cue chalk contain lead? pg 319
Prescription for Nutritional Healing by Phyllis A. Balch, CNC & James F. Balch M.D. pgs 487 - 490
Does your child's chalk contain lead? http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/chalk.asp I do not know if Crayola Sidewalk Chalk has ever been tested but, I do know it is made in China

Lead and Adults
“Both lead exposure and hypertension have been associated with cognitive impairments in older adults. Lead exposure early in life may have a long-term effect on cognitive ability and motor function, and have a carry-through effect in adult life,” said lead investigator Domenic Sica, M.D., professor of Medicine and Pharmacology at Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond. http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3033807
“Our study found the association of blood lead with cardiovascular death to be evident at levels as low as 2 μg/dL,” he said. “Since 38 percent of U.S. adults had lead levels above 2 μg/dL in 1999–2002, the public health implications of these findings are substantial.” http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3042161
Results of a study published in the March 26, 2003 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association have linked lead from thinning bones to high blood pressure among post-menopausal women. The study involved 2,165 women aged 40 to 59 who were surveyed between 1988 and 1994. Those with the highest levels of lead in their blood were 40 percent more likely to have high blood pressure than those with the lowest blood-levels of lead. http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/QA/QA244323/
Sincerely,
Micaela
P.S. Sorry, I could not include more specific information. I am protecting others property rights. All statements and conclusion are those of the authors of the articles themselves. Make your desitions wisely for they are your own. What you deside to do with all such information is your own responsibility.

More Lead related resources:
Local
State Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program. Site includes information on recent product alerts and recalls as well as resources for medical providers: www.healthoregon.org/lead
State Lead-Based Paint Program. Site includes lots of information for property owners, remodelers, and contractors. "Publications" page has lots of downloadable pdf brochures: www.healthoregon.org/leadpaint
Current list of State-certified lead-based paint professionals - inspectors, risk assessors, abatement firms: http://www.ohd.hr.state.or.us/leadpaint/certlist.cfm
City of Portland Water Bureau. Information about Portland area drinking water, drinking water standards, lead in water and plumbing, etc.: http://www.portlandonline.com/water/
CEP Calendar: http://www.communityenergyproject.org/schedulesr.html
Water Bureau Calendar: http://www.portlandonline.com/water/index.cfm?cal=DisplayMonth&c=30155
Lead Dust Prevalence Study: http://www.co.multnomah.or.us/health/lead/prev.htm
Community Energy Project: http://www.communityenergyproject.org
Growing Gardens: http://www.growing-gardens.org
Bureau of Housing and Community Development: http://www.portlandonline.com/bhcd/index.cfm?c=26428
Josiah Hill Clinic: http://www.jhillclinic.org
Portland Regional Lead Hazard Reduction Program: http://www.portlandonline.com/bhcd/index.cfm?c=35195

State:
Community Alliance of Tenants: http://www.oregoncat.org/

National:
Alliance for Healthy Homes (formerly Alliance to End Childhood Lead Poisoning): http://www.aeclp.org/
National Center for Healthy Housing (formerly, Nat'l Center for Lead-Safe Housing): http://www.centerforhealthyhousing.org/
Environmental Protection Agency Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics: http://www.epa.gov/lead/
HUD Office of Healthy Homes and Lead Hazard Control: http://www.hud.gov/offices/lead/
CDC's Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program: http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/lead.htm
National Lead Information Center: www.epa.gov/lead

Durable Non-toxic Toys

Wonderful well made toys with a
10yr warranty.

Community Playthings
PO Box 2
Ulster Park NY 12487
800-777-4244 (US only)
9 to 5, Monday through Friday
Fax 800-336-5948 (US only)

The CE Mark is the sign that toys for children comply with the stringent new European requirements. Community Playthings complies with the Toy Safety Directive 88/378/EEC.

http://www.communityplaythings.com/c/toytrucks/index.htm

Toxic Bath Tub Toys

Toxic Toys

by Mark Schapiro

The United States remains one of the few developed countries to permit the import of plastic toys made with polyvinyl chloride additives called phthalates (pronounced tha-lates), which help make toys soft and pliable enough to be twisted or sucked yet durable enough to survive a 1-year-old's grip. A mounting body of scientific evidence suggests that phthalates impede the production of testosterone and disrupt the sexual development of infant boys.
http://mobile.thenation.com/docmobile.mhtml?i=20071105&s=schapiro

Lead Free Made in Oregon

TumbleWeed Woodworks
528 North J. Street
Lakeview, OR 97630

(541) 947-3935
(800) 497-3116

http://www.tumbleweedwoodworks.com/index.php?op=puzzles

Tumbleweed Puzzles are colorful, educational, and fun for kids, and are made and finished with non-toxic materials.