LEAD POISONING
If the health department or your doctor or anyone else has told you that your child or someone else in your family has high lead levels in your blood, hair, or teeth, you need to seek medical – and legal – help.
Symptoms of Lead Poisoning
Too much lead, especially in young children, leads to many, many problems. Lead poisoning can cause brain damage, leading to many difficulties and conditions, including:
- Cognitive problems (problems thinking, remembering, learning, or understanding)
- Difficulties in school
- Moodiness or mood swings
- Behavioral problems or disorders
- Problems with memory or forgetfulness
- Slowness of thought or reactions
- Loss of coordination
- Chronic (meaning repeated or long-lasting) weakness
- Difficulty sleeping
- Dizziness
- Disorientation
- Unexplained visual problems
- Depression
- Increased irritability, anger, and other emotions
- Laziness, lack of interest generally, or decrease in initiative
Lead poisoning may also sometimes stunt growth and other normal development in children.
Again, it's unlikely that any one child or person will experience all of these symptoms or conditions. A person who experiences one or more of these conditions, and has been exposed to lead on a regular basis, should seek advice.
Again, it's unlikely that any one child or person will experience all of these symptoms or conditions. A person who experiences one or more of these conditions, and has been exposed to lead on a regular basis, should seek advice.
How Do You Get Lead Poisoning?
How do people get poisoned by lead? Persons living in areas where mining takes place, or where mining took place in years past, may be exposed to lead from rock waste that was brought to the surface and dumped. (This kind of waste may be called tailings, chat, culm or culm dumps, slime or slimes, slicken or slickens, slurry, leach residue or simply mining dumps).
Lead in mining waste may be carried by wind or surface water run-off throughout entire communities, contaminating yards, playgrounds, and fields. To make matters worse, lead dust in these areas may blow into homes and schools and settle on blinds, counters, floors, and any other flat surfaces. As a result, children are exposed to lead as they play in their yards, live in their homes, and attend their schools. Children are poisoned by lead while their parents have no idea there is a problem.
Sometimes, mining companies have been forced to replace yards because of the high lead levels found in dirt around a home. If this has happened in your community, the problem is not limited to the yard that was replaced. You likely live in an area with widespread lead contamination.
If your child or someone in your family has been tested for lead and been found to have high lead levels, you should learn your rights. The mining companies, or others, may be responsible for paying compensation to your family.
Lead in mining waste may be carried by wind or surface water run-off throughout entire communities, contaminating yards, playgrounds, and fields. To make matters worse, lead dust in these areas may blow into homes and schools and settle on blinds, counters, floors, and any other flat surfaces. As a result, children are exposed to lead as they play in their yards, live in their homes, and attend their schools. Children are poisoned by lead while their parents have no idea there is a problem.
Sometimes, mining companies have been forced to replace yards because of the high lead levels found in dirt around a home. If this has happened in your community, the problem is not limited to the yard that was replaced. You likely live in an area with widespread lead contamination.
If your child or someone in your family has been tested for lead and been found to have high lead levels, you should learn your rights. The mining companies, or others, may be responsible for paying compensation to your family.