We realize you are probably reading this because you are interested in what it can do if exposed to the material at various locations.
The reality is that there may be other places where you are subconsciously exposing yourself to dangerous heavy metal.
We invite you to take a closer look around the blog to see if there may be other articles that are of interest to you. We would also like to point out a few on the way.
End up being more interested in what you can do. You can always see if you’d be interested in buying one of the EPA paint testing kits that we offer.
Maybe you are either pregnant or making home improvements in an old home that requires you to do things such as removing plaster from walls. Read up on the various advice we offer that could be hugely beneficial for you.
When you are doing things where lead is released into the air in dust or particles, these particles won’t just release at your convenience. Still, they will rather stick to whatever they can stick to.
Here are places where exposure often happens:
- Old buildings
- Shooting ranges
- Some water pipes
- Toys manufactured in 3rd world countries
Necessary precautions
That means that while you may take certain precautions like wearing a mask when making the home improvement, that isn’t enough.
The particles will remain in the clothes. It is why we encourage the use of disposable coveralls when you’re engaging in such activities.
These coveralls won’t just protect the normal clothing you probably don’t want to ruin with paint. Still, they’ll also contain the particles that are spread around.
When it comes to staying safe at the end of the day, it’s simply better to be able to discard what you were wearing rather than simply washing it.
Suppose it isn’t convenient or possible to use such clothing for the purpose. In that case, we emphasize that you wash it to get rid of as much of the residue as possible.
However, the first thing you should be making sure that you do when you are done with the said activity is to wash your hands thoroughly.
You may choose to use special soap intended to make sure you are adequately cleaning your hands.
Unfortunately, we cannot keep people from touching their faces. Still, at least we can help you minimize the risk that your hands contain dangerous dust particles at that point.
Other Sources
The presence of lead is a lot more common than we would like to believe. It’s why you will want to make sure you are addressing all the different venues you could be exposing yourself to.
For instance, did you know that there was no law limiting the use of lead in paint before the year 1978? Yes, that’s true.
Manufacturers may have slowed down with their usage of this material at that point. The likelihood of older homes having this dangerous paint in them is higher.
Houses built up until 1978 have a fairly high chance of having lead paint in them.
When the paint deteriorates over time, the particles are released. At this point, they may be ingested by a curious mind running around finding paint chips on the floor.
They may end up in the dust flying around, at which point some are likely to be ingested.
Because of this, extensive measures have been taken throughout the years. It’s done to help address the situation and why certain things may have been required working on an old home.
In 1992, additional laws were passed that limited the usage of lead in consumer products. It capped them at 0.5% of the total amount of paint.
RRP regulations
In 2008, the EPA introduced the RRP regulations. They require you to test for lead when making any home improvement that may be disturbing the paint. It’s done to find out whether or not there’s any present.
Many things need to be done to best address the situation if there is. It includes documenting the presence, and special precautions must be taken to ensure that the work is done safely.
While dealing with it may seem like an issue only relevant for people in the past.
Lead was additionally added to things such as gas. The reality is that we expose ourselves to significantly higher amounts of this material than we necessarily like to believe.
Some of the exposure comes from the fact that there are still millions of homes. Other exposure may stem from the fact that leaded ammunition is still a thing.
