Lead poisoning?
Isn’t that something that happens to poor, neglected children or to people who live
in dilapidated houses? Unfortunately, the answer is no. Lead poisoning can
happen right here in our community, in our own neighborhoods, to regular people
who live regular lives.
Lead poisoning is
a serious problem because it can have life-changing repercussions, especially
in children under six. It is known to affect IQ, the ability to pay attention,
and academic achievement, and its effects are irreversible. Among the symptoms
of lead poisoning are developmental delays, irritability, loss of appetite, and
weight loss.
Lead paint in
houses became illegal in 1978, and most houses built before the 1950s probably
have lead paint in them. Although the lead paint does not have to be eliminated
from the property, it needs to be covered with fresh paint, and the house has
to be kept clean to avoid the accumulation of lead dust.
Lead Inspections
Mr. Zvi Pollack of
Pollack Inspections tests for lead paint in houses and rental properties. I
asked him about problems with lead paint in our neighborhoods. “Most old houses
have lead paint,” says Mr. Pollack. “The problem is not with the paint on the
walls or the woodwork. The problem is on friction surfaces, like windows or
doors that open and close. If the lead paint in the window wells and the door
frames is not covered over well with acrylic paint, it can cause lead paint
dust when the doors or windows are opened and closed. Lead dust can also settle
in the basement because that is the lowest point in the house. The problem is
seen mostly with children under six, who touch the dust from the lead paint and
then put their hands in their mouth,” Mr. Pollack concludes,” adding that the
rates of children poisoned by lead paint have gone down a lot because of
greater awareness and testing.
When a person
sells a property, he has to sign a disclosure form saying what he knows about
lead paint in his property. The buyer has the option of having a lead
inspection done before he buys the property.
When renting a
property, a person has to have a lead inspection done and get a lead
certificate. The certificate does not say that the property is lead free;
rather, it testifies that the lead is covered and there is no lead dust around.
It is the landlord’s legal responsibility to make sure his property does not
have a lead problem.
A Cautionary Tale
Shaina Menda, a beauty consultant and wig maker,
mother of seven, and homeowner, told me about her family’s experience with lead
poisoning. “We bought a 110-year-old house on
“When you buy a
house, you have to sign a paper saying that you are aware that the house may
have an issue with lead paint or asbestos. Of course, I signed the paper. I
really loved the house, and we checked carefully and made sure that all the
lead paint was covered. We looked for peeling paint and didn’t find any.”
Mrs. Menda has
seven children ranging in age from 11 to one year old. Taking her children for
a regular school physical, she found out that some of her children had elevated
lead levels. One of the children had a lead level over 10, which was considered
significant, so she was referred to the City’s health department. The inspector
came to the house and found that, although all the lead paint was covered with
acrylic paint, there was a lot of lead dust, especially in the basement. There
was no peeling paint and the windows were new, but lead dust came from opening
and closing windows and doors and from inside the radiators.
“Our big beautiful
house had a silent invisible menace that could not be seen by the naked eye,”
says Mrs. Menda. The inspector showed her methods to clean up the dust: for
example, using two buckets to clean each room rather than just one. She
recommended avoiding sweeping and mopping instead; otherwise the lead dust flies
around. She was referred to an agency for lead abatement.
“Then COVID hit.
Suddenly I had to let my cleaning lady go and all our kids were home from
school. The contractor who was supposed to make our house lead safe never
showed up. This was one of the side effects of the virus that most people are
unaware of. The office that deals with lead problems closed.
“Naturally, the
house was messier than usual because I didn’t have cleaning help and everyone
was home all day. At that time, my youngest daughter was learning how to crawl.
She had never been tested for lead because she was just an infant when we first
became aware of the problem. But now, when I had her tested for lead poisoning,
she tested very high.”
A social worker
got involved in the Mendas’ case and pushed for their home to be made lead
safe. Finally, things started moving, and a contractor began work. The family
had to move out of their house for six months while the lead abatement team
works on fixing the house. Meanwhile, they were relocated to a lead-free home.
“My children are
going for lead testing at the
Here is the
message Mrs. Menda would like to share with the community, especially those who
have children and live in older houses: “Lead poisoning can happen right here
in our community. Don’t think it doesn’t apply to us. When you buy a house,
take the time and spend the money to get it tested for a lead issue. Understand
that, just because there is no chipping or peeling paint, there can still be a
problem with lead dust. Don’t sign any forms without understanding what you are
signing. Be aware of the problem so that your children do not get lead
poisoning!”
