Health Department Talks About Dangers Posed By Lead Paint

paint-safe-2
paint-safe-2

We’ve heard a great deal about lead in the water of some Benton Harbor residents lately, but there’s another, more common, source of lead poisoning. Berrien County Health Department spokesperson Gillian Conrad tells WSJM News it’s old paint in homes.

“Lead-based paint was outlawed in 1978, but we have many old homes in Berrien County which might still have some of that lead-based paint still on them,” Conrad said. “Oftentimes we see lead-based paint in older homes, especially under other layers of paint.”

Conrad says chips and dust from old lead based paint can wind up in the general environment of an older home, especially in homes where the owners are doing a renovation project.

“We know that children put pretty much everything in their mouths and are crawling around on the floor. So, anywhere where there might be dust or dirt, especially around areas where there could be lead-based paint, those could pose a danger for those young children.

High lead levels in the blood of children can cause cognitive or nervous system problems. Conrad says in cases where lead is suspected, the children should be tested and the source eliminated. This is National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week, and you can find more information at Michigan.gov/MILeadSafe.