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SERVICES
What to do about
lead?
For many years the Port
Pirie environment has been the subject of extensive investigations. In March
1984 the Environmental Health Centre was established
to provide programs to help reduce the amount of lead that children were
absorbing from their contaminated environment.
Free
services
- Counselling and
accurate information on the lead contamination problem in Port Pirie
- Routine blood
lead testing for all children 5 years and under, and other at risk
groups such as pregnant women
- Home and
environmental assessments, where appropriate
- Educational talks
- Abatement and
renovation advice
- Removal of lead
contaminated material
- Weekend vacuum
cleaner loans for removal of ceiling and carpet dust - includes free
face masks.
What you
should know about lead
Lead is a poisonous
substance, which serves no use at all in the body.
Young
children are most at risk because:
-
their frequent hand to
mouth activity during constructive, adventurous play increases their
risk of swallowing lead dust
- from prebirth
through infancy, the developing brain is most at risk from the effects
of moderate exposure to lead
- children may
absorb up to 50% of the lead which enters their bodies, compared to
adults who only absorb 8-1 0%.
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Lead can be swallowed AND breathed in |
Sources of lead are
- Dust
- Paint
- Soil
- Rainwater
Lead accumulates in the
body, is circulated in the blood stream, and is stored in the soft tissues
and bones.
Some of the daily intake can be passed out by the body.
However, when the daily intake becomes excessive, elevated blood lead levels
occur.
Important things you can do
- cover food to
avoid lead dust settling
- wash fruit and
vegetables before using
- direct children
to wash their hands and scrub under their nails before eating
- discourage nail
biting
- provide
children with more milk, cheese, yogurt, custard. (Lead competes
with calcium)
- increase
children's FRUIT intake. (Research indicates fruit PECTIN and fibre
helps to reduce lead absorption)
- place clean
uncontaminated soil in children's sand pits and play areas
- damp dust all
surfaces and furniture, and wet mop floors
- vacuum walls,
soft furnishings and carpets regularly. Remember to place dust in
the garbage not in your garden
- do not drink
rainwater or use in cooking or for making up baby formula.
Redecorating?
Take care!
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DON'T ! ! ! |
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DON'T
burn paint off with a blow lamp - it causes fumes
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DON'T rub down with a dry sander - it spreads lead dust
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DON'T let any person - adult or child - into the room you
are working in unnecessarily
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DON'T burn paint peelings and debris.
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Links within this site
Pt Pirie
Newsletter
The Port Pirie Lead Implementation Program Future Focus and
Directions 05-06
Pt Pirie Environmental Health
Centre home page
Blood lead monitoring
Environmental health publications (including
Monograph - Paint
film components)
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