Facts about lead and lead poisoning

The goal of National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week is to activate individuals, families and organizations at the state and national levels to increase lead poisoning prevention awareness, and to reduce childhood exposure to lead. Below are some dangers and information about lead and lead poisoning.

• – Swallowing or breathing lead can cause lead poisoning. Children under the age of six years old are at most risk.
• – Lead can cause learning and behavior problems. Lead in a child can slow development and growth, damage speech and hearing and make it hard to learn and pay attention.
• – Lead poisoning in children is most common from homes built before 1978. Cracked and peeled old paint makes dust that children can touch or inhale.
• – Human exposure to lead is assessed through blood testing. Lead in the body travels to the brain, liver, kidney and bones.
• – There is no known level of lead exposure that’s considered safe.
• – Lead can be found in paint, batteries, pipes, pottery, plastic, vinyl, some cosmetics, and roofing materials
• – Most children who have lead poisoning don’t act or look sick. A lead test is the only way to know if your child has lead poisoning.

DURA’s Lead-Based Paint Hazard Control Program is designed to protect children younger than 6 from exposure to lead-based paint. The federally funded grant program is managed through the Denver Department of Public Health and Environment (DDPHE) and the Denver Urban Renewal Authority (DURA). The funding is part of a $127 million effort by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to protect families from lead-based paint and other home health and safety hazards. See if you qualify today.