Haven't been wearing a mask. Should I be worried?
2007-03-23 16:17:11 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Home & Garden ➔ Decorating & Remodeling
I am not a doctor, so take what I say with a *big* grain of salt, but....
As far as I understand it, most of the nasty effects of lead poisoning are cumulative effects of long-term exposure. I don't think two days of sanding cupboards is anything to worry about. Nonetheless, you definitely should be wearing a mask just to play it safe.
If I were you, I'd do a few Google searches to reassure myself, but I don't think you have much to worry about.
[EDIT] I found an article on Lead Poisoning on the National Institutes of Health website. Here's a snippet:
"Lead is a very strong poison. When a person swallows a lead object or inhales lead dust, some of the poison can stay in the body and cause serious health problems. A single high, toxic dose of lead can cause severe emergency symptoms. However, it is more common for lead poisoning to build up slowly over time. This occurs from repeated exposure to small amounts of lead. In this case, there may not be any obvious symptoms, but the lead can still cause serious health problems over time, such as difficulty sleeping or lowered IQ in children."
So, to me that sounds like if you don't have any symptoms right now, you probably didn't inhale a very high dose of lead, and as long as you control your exposure from now on, you'll be fine.
I would suggest you have the lead paint removed by a professional who is equipped to deal with toxic substances. Virtually every article I can find on lead poisoning suggests doing exactly that.
2007-03-23 16:28:33 · answer #1 · answered by MikeJW99 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
nah just seal the old paint and wear a mask next time i used to work in tank primers when they were the last lead base to go got covered every day so its not too bad for a free lead test go to the local county clinics and ask and then they can tell you how to rid your self of the lead
2007-03-23 23:26:19 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
You should always wear a masking when sanding anything. This time you should be okay! Just get lots of fresh air into your lungs
2007-03-23 23:25:56 · answer #3 · answered by snapdragon747 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think it has to be eaten not inhaled. If you are really worried call the poison control hot line and they can tell you for sure. Always wear a mask when sanding, the dust is not good for your lungs.
2007-03-23 23:26:50 · answer #4 · answered by lilly j 4 · 0⤊ 3⤋
the lead worry is mostly children. adults dont have the same worries. lead can affect adults... just takes alot more.
2007-03-23 23:29:02 · answer #5 · answered by hometech02 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you are worried you can actually have your blood tested for lead content and I think it can be removed.
2007-03-23 23:25:10 · answer #6 · answered by snowangel_az 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
for your safety and the safety of other's in the household you should remove it due to poision it can be harmful to a person's health.
2007-03-23 23:30:05 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋