Lead Paint Safety in Los Angeles Homes
Lead exposure is a serious concern, particularly for families with young children. Lead is a metal that is commonly found in rocks or water and was often used or building materials until 1978. In 1978, lead-based paint was prohibited in residential use due to studies pointing towards its harmful effects. Lead exposure is especially harmful for young children or pregnant women, as lead can damage the brain, kidneys, and nervous systems, as well as affect a child’s growth. In fact, long-term lead exposure can lead to miscarriages, decreased memory or attention, and weakness in limbs.
What resources should you look into if you might have lead-based paint in your home?
Although lead-based paint was banned in 1978, it can still be found in older residences that were built before 1978, which is why it is important to take cautionary steps to prevent lead exposure. Lead-based paint is particularly harmful when it chips or peels, as these pieces can become easy for small children to ingest or to breathe. If your residence was built before 1978, that can be an indicator that you have lead-paint on your walls, and as such you must test your home for lead. It is important to take the necessary steps to avoid lead exposure by not attempting to remove the paint by yourself. There are many resources provided by Los Angeles County in order to inform residents about safe lead removal.
These resources include lead testing and remediation services. If you suspect lead-based paint in your home due to it being built before 1978, certified professionals and contractors are able to help you! One example of a service is Lead Free Homes LA. This program is a collaborative effort between the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health and the local community to transform residences into safe, lead-free units. This program includes free lead testing for qualifying households in Los Angeles county, and further lead remediation.
What other measures can you take to avoid lead poisoning?
Other steps one might take in order to ensure that your family is safe is participating in having yourself or children tested for lead levels in your blood by a medical provider. If you have high lead levels, this can be an indicator that your home or water source contains lead. In such cases of extremely high lead levels, medical providers will often administer medications to combat the exposure. It is also important to clean surfaces and floors regularly in which dust containing lead might have fallen onto. Often times, household pots and pans that are old or made in other countries might contain lead, and as such, it is important to make sure you are using cookware that is not harmful to your health. Additionally, lead can often be found in water, and it can be useful to invest in a water filter to combat this.
By utilizing the materials provided by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, one can take steps to creating a lead-free residence. The most important steps one can take is understanding the timeline of when your apartment or home was built in order to ensure your home was built before 1978. If it was built before, you may take steps to calling a lead remediation center and testing yourself and children. Lead-paint hazards are a crucial concern for people of all ages, and it is essential for Los Angeles residents to protect themselves from this hazard.
What if you have more questions about lead poisoning in your home or rental unit?
You’re not alone if you have more questions, and in some cases you might want to consult legal assistance, especially if you are a tenant and navigating potential lead in the paint of a rental unit. There are different laws that apply to lead-based paint safety measures and what responsibilities you and your landlord have, so it may be a good idea to get help. If you are struggling with potential lead-based paint or its effects, please do not hesitate to contact us through this link here for support or resources. We will get back to you as soon as possible!