Lead is a heavy metal that was once used to make a wide range of consumer products, from paint to gasoline to children’s toys. However, lead is also toxic to the human body. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), a level of lead in the blood as low as 10 micrograms per deciliter can have significant health effects, especially for young children whose brains and bodies are still developing.
Although agencies like the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) have worked hard to reduce the amount of lead in consumer products, defective or old products can contain unacceptably high levels of lead that put children and adults at risk. Experienced Texas product liability attorneys want every family to know the signs of lead exposure in children and adults so they can protect themselves from harm.
Here are some signs of lead exposure from the National Safety Council:
In children
- Reduced IQ, learning disabilities, and attention deficit disorders,
- Problems with mood and behavior,
- Impaired hearing,
- Kidney damage.
In adults
- High blood pressure
- Fertility problems
- Disorders in the nervous system
- Muscle and joint pain
- Problems with mood, memory, and concentration.
Children can suffer the effects of lead exposure from even a small amount of lead in their environments. Toys that contain unacceptably high levels of lead, as well as certain other household products, can expose children to too much lead for their bodies to handle. In adults, high levels of lead exposure typically happen in the workplace, especially if adults work in construction, manufacturing, or remodeling old houses or buildings.
