Lead Poisoning from Paint Still a Kids Safety Issue
Despite US restrictions on lead levels in paint, including a tougher law that debuted this month, lead poisoning due to consumer paint is still an issue. Why? Much of our paint comes from other countries.
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A new study from the University of Cincinnati tested consumer paint brands and found that 73 percent of the paints from 12 different countries exceeded the previous US limit of 600 parts per million (ppm). Now the limit is set even lower, at 90 ppm in the US and this is now the lead paint limit for toys, too.
Lead is a serious kids safety issue. The Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) states that lead poisoning in kids can cause irreversible brain damage, impair mental function, slow mental and physical development and reduce attention span. For pregnant women, fetal development can be affected as well. Since a global lead ban doesn’t seem to be on the horizon, protect yourself and your family by buying eco-friendly paint or lead-free paint.
Image: Ms. G at flickr under a Creative Commons license
It is scary to think that 73% of paint from different countries contain harmful amounts of lead. Which companies were tested? Was it all interior paint or was it finger paints? I have a five year old so I think I will be safe and stick with eco-friendly paint whenever I need it.