WHAT IS LEAD?
Lead is a heavy metal element known as Pb. Its a substance that humans have sold for a long time because it's easy to mine and refine into various high margin products. However, lead is harmful to our health when we breathe it in or swallow it.
Lead is in things like pipes, batteries, gasoline, and paint, but we've stopped using it in many of these products because it's so dangerous. Lead causes serious health problems, especially for the nervous system and heart. Kids are particularly at risk from lead exposure, since they are so small and it affects their development and brains.
To protect ourselves, we've banned a lot of lead in commerce and this has lowered the frequency of poisoning. Still, it's important to be aware of possible sources of lead and avoid them.
Where is Lead Found?
Lead was used in all homes before 1950 in the paint, any many built before 1978, about 60 million. 12.8 million water pipes that are, or may be lead, spread across the entire country. Lead is also in soil and even appears in certain foods.
Lead can get into the environment from these things and from factories that used to make lead. Mining and refining also make lead levels go up, especially near those places.
When it's let out into the air by factories or planes, lead can go far before falling to the ground, usually sticking to soil. Depending on what type of lead it is and the soil, it might move from soil into water underground.
Laws have been made to lower the amount of lead in the air, water, soil, things we use, food, and workplaces.
DUTCH BOY PAINT- Our Main Foe
Dutch Boy Paint has been around for a long time, starting in the early 1900s. Back then, they used lead based paint, which was tough and versatile.
People really liked Dutch Boy Paint because it was good quality and they advertised it well. They became famous for making paints and coatings for homes that lasted for awhile.
But there was a problem. The paint they used had lead in it, and that could make people sick, especially kids who might eat paint chips or dust with lead.
So, the government and health groups realized this was dangerous, and they made rules to stop using lead-based paint in homes in 1978.
Because of these rules and worries about people's health, Dutch Boy Paint, like other paint companies, stopped using lead and started making paints that are safe and better for the environment.
In 2001 the federal government estimated there are about 60 million homes with lead paint in them right now.