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I just found out that lead dust poisoned my kids. I have never posted before, but I am so worried I wanted to pass on what happened to us so it does not happen to you.
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My next door neighbors are painting the exterior of their house. In the process, the contractor sanded the siding and there was dust was all over the place. One of our neighbors, who volunteers with an environmental organization, suspected that there was lead in some of the dust and asked that my next door neighbor take proper precautions. (We live in an area with older homes.) They refused, so my neighbor reported them, and within the hour a town official was at my neighbor’s demanding that work be stopped.Â
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When I found out about what was going on, I went on the Internet to read up about this. I came across all sorts of information, and found a great Web site, www.BustLeadDust.com, which lays out the problem of lead dust.  It seems there is a new law that every contractor must follow when working in pre-1978-built homes that have a good chance of containing lead-based paint. The Web site says that lead dust, as small as a grain of sand, can poison kids. If that's the case, we have a whole beach on our block!Â
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I immediately took my three children to the pediatrician to be tested for lead. The doctor gave them a fingertip test; it was positive for all three, so she drew blood and sent it to a lab. We now have to wait about  a month to get the report. Well, I'm a little frantic. I'm reading more and more and thinking about how much poison might be in their systems.  We’re talking brain damage, loss of IQ, learning disabilities, tendency toward violence: The list is long and really has me worried.
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I called an inspector to have our home tested. My house has lead dust in every room -- and what's really scary is I couldn't see it. So, I thought I'd share my tale of woe. Forewarned is forearmed. Meanwhile, keep your fingers crossed for me and my kids.
