Lead Poisoning effects hundreds of thousands of children every year making it the number one environmental threat in the US.  We need to do more to reduce childhood lead poisoning.

Pollution is accepted in industrial societies as a necessary evil.  Many people believe it is the price we pay for our high standard of living.  Most people think about pollution and environment threats as large smoke stacks, car exhaust, nuclear waste, hazardous dumps, and global warming.  Most of these things are far away and can be avoided.  Global warming is just a concept to many of us and the emotional impact of such a threat is muted by its complexity (not to say global warming is not real, because it is very real and very serious).  None of these things, however, are poisoning hundreds of thousands of children right now.

Just about all houses built before 1978 contain lead paint, which is the main source of lead poisoning.  As lead paint ages it deteriorates turning into lead dust and paint chips.  Inhaling lead dust or touching the wall and then getting lead dust in the mouth or nose are the most frequent causes of lead poisoning.  Keeping a house clean everyday can go a long way to prevent lead poisoning.

The only way to permanently remove the threat is to remove the paint.  You must remove lead paint properly or you will increase the risk of lead poisoning.  A safe lead paint stripper is essential to ensure safety.  Follow instructions carefully and wear some protective equipment like gloves, goggles, and coveralls.  Also, it is essential to clean up before and after a paint removal job.  Read more about lead poisoning and lead paint removal at www.leadpaintblog.com