Lead safety

There’s a high chance that houses built before 1976 were painted with a lead based paint. Lead poisoning can occur when exposed to an excessive amount of lead, and a person may suffer from anemia or experience nerve damage. Children are more easily susceptible, especially those under age 6. Because lead is a toxic, if absorbed or ingested, it will interfere with nerve and brain tissue development.

Because young children are likely to chew on painted items, they are more likely than other members of a family to absorb significant amounts of lead and suffer harm from lead paint in a home, especially if the paint is peeling and easily chipped. People who work with paint, especially paint removal, must also take proper precaution or hire a professional. Lead dust can be especially problematic. Information about lead paint can be found at Healthy Androscoggin. Call 795-5990, or go to www.healthyandroscoggin.org. They offer a one-day course, required for those who do renovation, repair and painting work in pre-1978 housing and child-occupied facilities.