Los Angeles County will help thousands of Los Angeles homes that need repair
If the house you live in was built before 1978, there is a possibility that its walls have lead-based paint. In that year, the federal government banned such paintings in response to the serious damage they cause. But many homes built before the ban still present a risk for its residents
Exposure to only a small amount of lead can cause permanent damage to the brain and the development of children, which can ingest the dangerous substance either through dust, putting paint chips that fall from the walls in their mouths , or simply playing outdoors, in contaminated soils. The most exposed are the younger children They are constantly exploring and discovering the place, both walking and crawling.
Many families still they ignore that the painting of their home is poisoning to his children. According to information from Los Angeles County, around 2,000 children per year are diagnosed each year with dangerous blood lead levels.
The residents of southern Los Angeles They are among the most affected by this type of poisoning.
What is lead and what are acceptable levels
"Lead is a potent neurotoxin that affects the way children learn, grow and behave," said Dr. Alice Kuo of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Galena said there is no "safe" level of lead for children.
Lead is especially harmful to children because they absorb 4 to 5 times more substance than adults. Once in the system, neurotoxin goes from the blood to the brain, kidneys and bones. The organs and bones of children are more immature and as a result are more vulnerable than those of adults. At the same time, children have not yet fully developed the blood barrier to the brain.
Consequences of unintentional lead consumption
Low levels of lead exposure cause toxicity, decreased IQ, diminution of the ear and growth. As lead levels increase they produce colic, anemia, kidney disease, encephalopathy, and even death.
According to information from the government environmental agency (EPA), even the lowest levels of lead exposure are related to damage to the central and peripheral nervous system, lower stature, learning disabilities and damage to the formation and function of the cells of the blood.
The only way to know if your children have dangerous blood lead levels is by A medical exam
LA County Help
Following a lawsuit filed 20 years ago by local governments in California, against the paint companies ConAgra, Sherwin-Williams Co and Industrias NL, Los Angeles County will receive around 134 million dollars to alleviate the situation.
The money will go to some of the 720,000 angelic homes that were built before 1951 and in which there is a higher concentration of lead. With that money, the county will identify, inspect and repair the selected units. It is estimated that between 4,000 and 5,000 households will benefit from this program..
Resources and advice
Pregnant mothers or young children can get more information and help on the subject at WIC, said Rebecca Rona, Director of Health Projects communication in South Los Angeles. WIC is the nutrition program for women, babies and children that offers information, workshops, advice and coupons for healthy food, among others.
“In WIC we take lead poisoning very seriously”, The expert told The opinion. "Our counselors explain to parents the dangers of lead and how it can affect a child or an unborn baby."
Rona stressed the importance of pregnant women do not expose themselves to lead, since this can affect the fetus and cause problems and challenges for life.
“We encourage parents to take their children to the doctor, to talk with them about lead and to ask that their children be tested for blood lead levels. During the appointments with the parents, we ask that they show us the results of these exams and if we see that there are problems, we suggest actions to the parents to prevent the lead levels from increasing further, ”he added.
For more information on lead hazards And how to avoid them, you can visit: https://wicparausted.org/el-plomo/
Fathers, mothers and pregnant women can be informed if they are eligible for the program WIC, visiting the site in Spanish https://wicparausted.org/elegible-para-wic/; by visiting the WIC site closest to your home, or by calling 310-661-3080.
For more information About the LA County Lead Elimination Program, you can visit: http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/
Also in the water
In the “Get the Lead Out” study conducted in 2019 by CALPRIG, an organization that defends consumer rights against interest groups, California schools received a C + grade in reference to the presence of lead in the water children drink.
If you want to know the levels of lead that exist in the water that your children drink at school, you can visit the interactive map, and look for the campus your children attend: https://tinyurl.com/y2x5c2za.
