Sometimes it is shocking to think about the discoveries that we have made as a species, how those discoveries affect our standard of living, and then comparing those standards to how things went before those discoveries were made. Sometimes it is hard to fathom just how we have made it as far as we have, considering the practices that have been popular in the past that we now know are incredibly harmful. One such case is the use of lead in substances such as paint. Individuals who have gone through lead renovator certification training could be among the first to attest to the dangers of lead.
Why lead renovator certification training is crucial
While mankind may have been aware of the poisonous properties of lead and thus its absence in the realm of things that we ingest, it has not always been clear just how toxic it can be when used in other materials that we are around often. Because of the lack of this connection early on, lead was a main component in many different paints. These paints, when used in houses and on other surfaces that were often used or simply present for long periods of time, were eventually discovered to be incredibly dangerous to humans. As the paint would age, the peeling particles would contaminate the air and the surfaces that would transfer the harmful lead to be ingested or breathed in. Handling any type of material that is made of or contains lead should be done with extreme care, thus creating a need for lead renovator certification training. Renovations taking place in buildings or areas that used lead based paint or other materials can only occur with properly trained and certified individuals present. An expert with a lead paint certification or lead renovator training will know how to properly handle the situation.
Understanding the presence of lead in our everyday lives
Some people may not understand the need for a certified lead renovator. After all, the government has been diligent in working to reduce the amount of lead that can be present in usable paint. Domestic paints can only have .1% lead. Compare that to the time leading up to World War II, during which many available paints had a lead content of as much as 40% by dry weight. Yes, there has been a change that calls for better quality paints and materials devoid of lead. But that does not mean that the need for lead renovator certification training has diminished. Currently about 75% of the housing in the United States contains lead paint. All things considered, it was relatively recent that it was discovered just how detrimental lead based paint could be, and so we as a society are still working to eradicate the harmful substance from homes everywhere.
The severity of the situation
While laws and society have improved by leaps and bounds as far as dangerous lead use is concerned, many people may still not be aware of the reasoning behind this shift. But it becomes increasingly clearer how very important it is to eliminate lead from houses and other buildings when you put it in the perspective of how it affects children. Children are notorious for putting their hands on everything and then directly into their mouths. For this, among other reasons, children are at the highest risk for lead poisoning, especially those under the age of six years old, and particularly in older homes where the paint is more significantly deteriorating.
Lead poisoning can lead to learning disabilities and behavioral issues as well. Each and every year there are an estimated 600,000 new cases of children who are showing signs of developing an intellectual disability, specifically due to lead exposure. In fact in the United States alone, over three million kids who are six years old or younger already has levels of lead in their bodies that would measure to be a toxic amount. That is one of very six little ones in the country.
Lead poisoning is a serious issue, and the handling of lead and lead based materials should be approached with the right training and certification.
