You may have heard about the horrors of lead, and how its presence in drinking water and plastic goods can have a serious effect on those who interact with it. However, did you know that for most of us, the most exposure that we get to lead is from within our very own homes?
Fortunately, there is a way to ensure that we are living life safe from the dangers of lead poisoning. The most effective way to eliminate the hazards of lead from your life is by relying on a professional lead abatement company that can provide you with peace of mind by eliminating all sources of lead from within your home. MB Environmental Ltd. is proud to offer lead abatement services in Vancouver.
What is Lead?
Lead is a type of metal that is naturally-occurring and known for its low melting point. It can be easily extracted from ore, and has been in use since ancient times. More modern uses for lead have included gasoline, paint, batteries, bullets, and weights — as a malleable material, it was previously seen as quite useful as well as inexpensive. Unfortunately, lead can have disastrous effects on humans following exposure.
Why is Lead Dangerous?
Lead is poisonous to humans, and the most dangerous way to be in contact with it is to breathe it in. Some of the symptoms that it causes include abdominal pain, memory loss, tingling nerves, headaches, and general fatigue. Lead is especially damaging to children and pregnant women, as it has the ability to affect a fetus.
It is not just human beings that lead is harmful to. Lead is also a major polluter of the planet, and can easily seep into soil and water systems. Even though lead is no longer a commonly used material, it can have long lasting effects on the natural ecosystem and can even stay in certain soils for hundreds or even thousands of years.
Is Lead Found in Homes?
Unfortunately, prior to the late 1970s, products and materials using lead were commonly found in homes. This means that anyone living or working in an older building may be susceptible to lead poisoning through the air or through dust particles, or even through lead-based paint, which was common in previous decades.
Studies from the EPA have shown that while nearly a quarter of all homes built between 1960 and 1977 contain some form of lead, 69% of homes built between 1940 and 1959 do, and a shocking 87% of buildings built before 1940 do. While the most common source of lead is in the paint on the walls, lead can also show up in the dust within a home, as well as within the soil on your home’s property. In some cases, the piping that is used to deliver your drinking water though your taps may also have the potential to expose you to lead.
How Does Lead Abatement Work?
Lead abatement is a process undertaken by professionals that can remove remnants of lead in a building. Most lead abatement processes are focused on the removal of lead-based paint, although not exclusively so. Lead abatement has the power to permanently destroy the presence of lead.
As lead abatement procedures can be quite dangerous, they are only to be handled by trained professionals who adhere to guidelines put out by relevant governing bodies. In some cases, the government agency may order the removal of lead from certain buildings if they deem it to be a risk to the general public.
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