368 A Healthy Home
Toxics in the Home
Building materials, paint, furniture, cleaning products, and other things used
at home may contain harmful chemicals. Asbestos and lead paint have been
banned in some countries, but other toxics are still common.
Lead poisoning
Lead is a toxic metal found in common products such as paint, water pipes,
some glazed ceramic pots, dishes, and floor tiles, tin cans, gasoline (petrol), and
engine exhaust. A single high dose of lead can cause severe health problems. But
it is more common for lead poisoning to build up slowly from repeated exposure
to small amounts of lead. There may not be any obvious signs of lead poisoning,
but over time it causes serious health problems.
Lead poisoning is more harmful to children than adults because it affects
children’s developing nerves and brains. The younger the child, the more harmful
lead can be. Over time, even low levels of lead exposure can harm a child’s
mental development. (For more about how toxics affect children, see page 322.)
Ways people are exposed to lead
Some glazed pottery
Lead pipes
Car fumes
Lead paint
Contaminated soil
Industrial pollution
A Community Guide to Environmental Health 2012