Below is an excerpt from an article I found on the web that addresses lead paint dust. After reading it I am still left wondering as to why, considering I grew up in, went to school in and have worked in buildings that were built pre 1978, not to mention that I have been doing renovation, repair and remodel work for almost 40 years, why is it that I do not personally know anyone or have never met anyone with lead poisoning? How about you? How old was the house(s) you grew up in? How old were the school buildings where you attended school? How many people do you personally know that have lead poisoning?

Excerpt from an article on the web: Lead Dust from Lead-Based Paint

" 'I see kids every day who have lead poisoning from breathing lead paint dust. Some of them are on Ritalin, when the real solution would be to treat the lead problem'. So we were told by a gentleman in St. Louis, MO who is quite familiar with lead paint problems in older homes.

"Lead paint can be a real danger to both children and adults living in houses built before 1978. Contrary to what most people think, a toddler doesn't have to eat paint chips to get lead poisoning. Microscopic dust can be created by merely raising and lowering a window painted with lead paint. The friction between the painted window sash (the part that goes up and down) and the painted window frame grinds the paint and generates toxic lead-containing dust.

"Buy or sell a house, and you'll see that lead is a big problem. The multiple lead disclosure statements and forms for both buyer and seller are not just a lot of government 'bureaucratic red tape', but were created to address a real problem.

In adults, who are no longer growing, the lead eventually is removed by the body. But in children, their growing bodies grab onto any lead they ingest, and it builds up. Adults will absorb 10 percent of the lead they eat; children absorb up to 50 percent. Children also more readily absorb what they breathe. Their developing nervous system is especially vulnerable. Though the symptoms of low-level lead poisoning in children include clumsiness, stomach aches, refusal to play, irritability, fatigue and loss of appetite, these are often ignored by parents and the condition can worsen.

"Dr. Herbert Needleman performed an analysis of lead levels of baby teeth of 2,146 normal schoolchildren aged 5 to 6. He then had each child's behavior rated by the teacher. The results: more lead related to worse behavior! Similar findings were made in several other countries.

"Lead poisoning can be treated with chelation. But it is somewhat painful, and it takes other, beneficial heavy minerals out of the body along with the harmful lead."

http://www.negativeiongenerators.com/leadpaintdust.html