IS&R Project Lead Information
Lead is a natural element in the earth’s crust. It is the fifth most important metal in the USA economy. It can enter the body through the atmosphere or from drinking water. It can be bright silver in color or have a bluish cast. Once exposed to the air it turns grey in color. Lead comes from:
- Areas of contaminationMining – The International Smelter and Refinery built a lead refinery in 1912 in Pine Canyon. Later, owners added a lead-zinc sulfide flotation mill and a slag treatment plant for lead and zinc recovery
- Lead (and arsenic) levels are higher in mining and processing facilities where they form pockets or veins of carbonate rock
- Reclamation reduced lead levels significantly at the IS&R area
- Corroded and rusted pipes in homes and water treatment plants
- Local business: radiator repair shops, battery recycling, auto body shops, ceramic studios, and tire stores for example
- Construction: commercial or residential building, paint removal, bridge work and maintenance, steel structures, renovations, concrete work, cutting, scraping, and grinding for example
- In our homes: cosmetics, cleaning supplies, vacuuming, opening canned vegetables, and washing dishes for example
Lead is high in abundance and low in cost. It will be found somewhere in almost every home:
- fishing sinkers
- batteries
- tools
- gasoline
- paint and varnish
- makeup
- pesticides
- hair dye
- pipes, faucets and connectors
- Water hoses & sprayers
The EPA has established protocols, criteria, and minimum performance standards for laboratory analysis of lead in paint, dust, and soil
Lead owners and occupants of most pre-1978 housing are provided information concerning potential hazards of lead-based paint exposure before certain renovations are begun on that housing
Fines can be as high as $37,000 for each occurrence if protocols are violated and not corrected upon inspection
Other regulatory agencies have banned many lead compounds:
- gasoline is lead free
- lead paints and paint products are banned
- additives to gas and diesel products are now lead free
Health effects from high levels of lead:
- Interferes with red blood cell production Lead
- slight deficits in the attention span
- delay in normal physical and mental development
- decreased reaction time
- weakness in hands, legs, and feet
- Slows down thinking patterns and behaviors
Protect your home and family:
- If you rent an old apartment report damage to the building manager, especially chipped paint, rusty old pipes, exosed wiring – call the health department if it isn’t cleaned up
- Throw out any paint, thinner, spray paint, or items with paint on them if they were made prior to 1980 – this includes toys, playground equipment, bikes, and skates
- Wash your young child’s hand often and teach kids how to wash hands properly
- In your own home repair chipped or peeling paint immediately – even if it doesn’t contain lead – you don’t want children around it
- Put away all tools when finished for the day
- Avoid dust of all kind when refurbishing or remodeling your home
- When you vacuum don’t pick up paint chips unless you are using a hepa filter
- hepa filters pull fine particles and allergens in
- it picks up smaller particles than other systems
- picks up particles not visible to the naked eye
Please contact your doctor if you suspect your child has high levels of lead.
The Good News:
Lead gets a lot of attention. The more attention it gets, the safer we all become. Parents , you can protect your family from lead poisoning. Talk to your health care provider about lead sources in your home and other places your child spends a lot of time.
Other helpful links:
Follow these four food safety tips to take the guesswork out of preparing your holiday turkey provided by Centers for Disease Control.
1. Safely Thaw a Turkey
Thaw turkeys in the refrigerator, in a sink of cold water that is changed every 30 minutes, or in the microwave.
A frozen turkey is safe indefinitely, but a thawing turkey must defrost at a safe temperature. When the turkey is left out at room temperature for more than two hours, its temperature can creep into the danger zone between 40°F and 140°F, where bacteria can grow rapidly.
2. Safely Handle a Turkey
Bacteria from raw poultry can contaminate anything that it touches. Thoroughly wash your hands, utensils, and work surfaces to prevent the spread of bacteria to your food and family.
Take Care with Leftovers
- Clostridium perfringens is the second most common bacterial cause of food poisoning.
- Outbreaks occur most often in November and December.
- Meat and poultry accounted for 92% of outbreaks with an identified single food source.
- Refrigerate leftovers at 40°F or below as soon as possible and within two hours of preparation to prevent food poisoning.1
3. Safely Stuff a Turkey
Cook stuffing in a casserole dish to make sure it is thoroughly cooked. If you stuff the turkey, do so just before cooking. Use a food thermometer to make sure the stuffing’s center reaches 165°F. Bacteria can survive in stuffing that has not reached 165°F, and possibly cause food poisoning. Learn more about how to safely prepare stuffing.
4. Safely Cook a Turkey
Set the oven temperature to at least 325°. Place the completely thawed turkey with the breast side up in a roasting pan that is 2 to 2-1/2 inches deep. Cooking times will vary depending on the weight of the bird. To make sure the turkey has reached a safe internal temperature of 165°F, check by using a food thermometer inserted into the center of the stuffing and the thickest portions of the breast, thigh, and wing joint. Let the turkey stand 20 minutes before removing all stuffing from the cavity and carving the meat. Learn more about safe minimum cooking temperatures and how to use and calibrate a food thermometer for turkey and other foods.
References
More Information
- Let’s Talk Turkey—A Consumer Guide to Safely Roasting a Turkey, USDA, Food Safety and Inspection Service
- Thanksgiving Holiday Resources en Español, USDA, Food Safety and Inspection Service
- Turkey Thawing Chart, FoodSafety.gov
- Turkey Basics: Handling Cooked Dinners and Leftovers en Español; USDA, Food Safety and Inspection Service
- FoodSafety.gov
- Thanksgiving en Español
- Gear Up for Food Safety,[306 KB] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- CDC Food Safety, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention