Preventing Lead Poisoning In and Around Your Home

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Lead free ammunition, lead replacement, Lead substitute

“Lead poisoning is one of the most preventable environmental diseases among young children,” says Marissa J. Levine, MD, State Health Commissioner of Virginia. National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week was held in the month of October to raise awareness on the steps one can take to protect their loved ones from the dangers of lead.

Lead poisoning among kids is considered to be one of the most preventable diseases, but thousands of kids living in the US still manage to show elevated levels of lead that could be causing significant damage to their overall health. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that more than 4 million households in the US have kids who have been exposed to high levels of lead, and close to half a million kids live with levels that are high enough to cause some serious and permanent damage. Sounds scary, doesn’t it?

Lead poisoning takes place when kids breathe in or swallow lead. This can be particularly damaging for newborns and kids under the age of 6. Lead can also pass from the mother to the unborn child, with the lowest of levels also causing harmful effects. To make matters worse, the damages caused by lead poisoning never go away as they impact the nervous system and the brain, slowing down growth, leading to speech and hearing problems and causing problems with learning.

That said, lead poisoning is entirely preventable. “As we become more aware of lead poisoning, we find more and more sources in our environment,” says Diane Calello, MD, Medical Director of New Jersey Poison Center. Major sources of lead poisoning include lead based bullets, drinking water, lead-contaminated dust, lead-based paint, soil from homes made prior to 1978, imported food, cosmetics, pottery and even certain medications.

The only way to prevent damage is to prevent exposure, and the following steps should help you ensure that you manage to save your child from the dangers of lead poisoning.

Step 1 – Test Your Home for Lead

Testing your home for lead is essential if you have young kids or pregnant women in your household. This is incredibly essential for homes made prior to 1978, but you need to check your surroundings in newer homes as well. If you do find elevated levels of lead in or around your home, hire professionals to remove the source of lead.

Step 2 – Test Your Child for Poisoning

Even if your kid seems healthy, make sure to ask the doc to check them for levels of lead since the effects of lead poisoning aren’t noticeable. A simple blood test can measure the level of lead in your child’s body. Professionals recommend screening for kids between the ages of 1 and 2.

Step 3 – Switch to Lead Free Ammunition

Lead free ammunition is a boon to gun lovers and hunters. It saves them and the environment around them from the dangers of lead, and it ensures the safety of their loved ones and their prized game. Better yet, lead free bullets are known to cost the same and are also known to offer a far better performance as well!

Don’t wait for lead poisoning to take a toll on your lives to take preventive measures. If exposure does happen, help is a phone call away. And even if you’re looking to simply educate yourself more on the dangers of lead poisoning or are trying to figure out how to truly eradicate the dangers of lead poisoning around your home, give the experts a call today!

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Why Do We Keep Using Lead Bullets?

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frangible projectiles, Lead free ammunition

Today, most of us know firsthand what lead poisoning looks and feels like. Thousands have been affected in cities like Flint and news channels have been quick to educate society on the perils of lead poisoning. We’ve started to replace those old pipelines, get rid of lead paints, take preventive measures and also educate our kids. We’re just starting to do our bit as a society to remove this menace once and for all. But why do we ignore our bullets, even when we know that we have lead free ammunition available?

Poisoning the Future?

Andrea Goodnight, a vet at the Oakland Zoo, works with lead poisoning literally on a daily basis as she is tasked with treating California condors testing positive for lead in their blood. When the lead levels become too high, these condors cannot hold their food, and this means that they literally starve to death. Says Goodnight, “a very clinically ill bird is very distressing. They’re weak, they fall over, they just can’t feed themselves… it’s an absolutely horrible way to die.”

Treatment can help save these birds, but most treatments are quite stressful, and the moment they’ve been re-exposed to lead poisoning, they must go through the tormenting experience all over again. One of the main sources of lead poisoning for condors is ammunition. Lead bullets are a cost effective measure compared to lead free ammunition, but they always leave damage and destruction in their wake. Tiny fragments get scattered in the entrails left behind, and this acts as a source of food for numerous wild creatures. A 2003 study revealed that before lead bullets were banned by California in the year 2008, 30,000 lead carcasses were left behind each year by hunters!!

A Lack of Clarity

“I really strongly think that, given the right information, they will move toward using non-lead ammunition,” says Leland Brown, a non-lead hunting educator working with the Oregon Zoo. Hunters have voluntarily started switching to lead free bullets and those who still resort to using the lead bullet would do so once they comprehend the risk it poses to their own families and to the wildlife.

Do Bans Help?

Hunting waterfowls with lead bullets was banned in the year 1991. California began the process to ban lead bullets for certain types of hunting in the year 2015, which shall then extend to all types of hunting by the year 2o19. Minnesota is considering banning small-game hunting with lead ammunition. More than 34 states have regulations in place to prevent certain types of hunting with lead. Despite all efforts, most types of hunting still use lead bullets, and the existing patchwork of lead regulations don’t help. Moreover, simply implementing bans doesn’t help until hunters can be educated about the true dangers posed by lead.

Can We Afford Lead Free Ammunition?

Gun advocates believe that banning lead ammunition will mean that many hunters will not be able to afford lead fee bullets. Even though hunting may have declined in California since the ban in the condor range, the decrease really hasn’t done anything to slow down the sale of lead free ammunition. Some of these frangible projectiles may cost twice as much as lead bullets, but there are lead free bullets that can be compared to the price of the lead bullet. In fact, some turn out to be cheaper as well!

Studies also confirmed that those using the lead free bullet don’t have to sacrifice or compromise on performance either. “The few times since then when I’ve used lead ammunition, I’ve actually been less pleased. It didn’t do what I had gotten used to non-lead ammo doing,” says Brown, praising the performance of a lead free bullet.

Radiation Shielding the Biggest Challenge to Life on Mars

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radiation shielding, radiation shielding materials

They say once you grow crops somewhere, you have officially ‘colonized’ it. So technically, I colonized Mars. In your face, Neil Armstrong!” We hear you Mark Wattney, we really do! Matt Damon and The Martian make us dream about life on Mars, but before we are truly successful in colonizing other planets, we need to deal effective radiation shielding materials.

Sounds like a distant dream considering we’re still dealing with radiation literacy issues as a society. Let’s take the example of x-ray body scanners found in airports around the world. But the EU banned the use of these devices due to radiation concerns back in 2011! You’d suddenly want to stay away from these devices, but passengers are exposed to 40 times the dose spending an hour in an airplane! Despite this, radiation poisoning really isn’t a cause for concern while flying.

Still when it comes to flying into space, radiation exposure and radiation shielding is actually a huge concern. To help you better understand the problem, let’s consider the dangers that radiation poses to the human body.

Effects of Radiation are Different Beyond Earth’s Orbit

Exposure to radiation is a huge cause of concern for those dreaming about deep space travel. A study published in the Scientific Reports Journalshows that Apollo astronauts have a shorter life expectancy due to larger incidences of cardiovascular diseases. Without eliminating radiation poisoning, we simply cannot think about venturing into the solar system. You’d argue that hundreds of people have traveled into space, but you need to understand that just 24 people have actually traveled beyond the Low Earth Orbit, and studies HAVE shown that these 24 travelers suffered from adverse clinical outcomes when compared to other astronauts due to the absence of effective radiation shielding materials.

Categorizing Space Radiation

The different types of radiation found in deep space include x-rays, gamma rays, UV rays and atomic nuclei. Radiation can also be categorized depending on where it’s located or where it comes from. The sun also throws out energy particles into space, and these solar events also give birth to a type of radiation known as Galactic Cosmic Radiation which typically fills space. This might not be as strong as a large solar particle event, but it is always present, making it a huge concern that might not kill right away, but certainly pose serious long-term consequences.

Protection Against Radiation in Space

The geomagnetosphere is one of the most important layers of protection shielding life on earth from the devastating impacts of radiation. This region is produced by the planet’s magnetic field and it completely surrounds the planet. Radiation particles are trapped in the geomagnetosphere and deflected around the planets in certain patterns. Uncharged radiation such as gamma rays can pass through this shield, but that’s when the atmosphere comes into play, further protecting life on the planet. This means that in order to make your Mars missions a reality we not only need effective radiation shielding materials, we need to make sure we’re using adequate gamma ray shielding measures as well!

The Concepts of Radiation Shielding

Most Mars enthusiasts are aware of the need for radiation shielding materials before human settlements can dream of venturing into outer space. Mars has a thinner atmosphere, and therefore, the first settlers or the robots preceding them need to place habitat modules in deep ditches and over them with thick layers of dirt to keep colonists safe from the dangers of radiation. Experts believe that space settlements could see domes covering farms, but the skylines you see in many artist conceptions of life in Mars will certainly never get the chance to develop. Think of this as the DC metro minus the construction above ground.

While this sounds doable enough, the same cannot be said about space vessels. We simply cannot cover outer walls with dirt as there are certain weight restrictions and while there are ideas to use radiation shielding materials using waste material and ship designs, humans simply haven’t found an answer to the dangers posed by Galactic Cosmic Radiation despite making major breakthroughs in radiation shielding in the recent past.

Simply put, before dreaming about life on Mars, we need to make radiation shielding and gamma ray shielding a reality. Only when we can be confident of having adequate radiation protection, will we be able to put together interplanetary missions.

Things You Might Not Know are Made with Plastics

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heavy plastics, high density plastic, high density polymers

Automobile parts, grooming products, sports clothing, gymnastics floors, tennis racquets, golf clubs, heavy plastics are making their way into so many products around you. Considered to be lighter, more durable and effective, these thermoplastic composites are not only easy to use, but more economical as well. You’re probably aware of the impact plastics are making in your life, but you’d be surprised to learn about some of the products that rely on plastics.

Exercise Flooring

Seen those cool exercise floors that offer a bit of bounce to help gymnasts soften the impact of their landings? They’re made using glass-reinforced high density plastics called fiberglass and are then topped with a layer of plastic foam and carpeted using plastic fibers.

Sports Clothing

Irrespective of what sports you’re into, you’re probably wearing sports made using high density plastics such as acrylic, polyester, spandex and nylon. And that’s not even counting all that safety equipment like shin guards, helmets and visors.

Goggles

But goggles are made out of glass, you might argue. Probably not! Whether you’re swimming, riding or skiing, wearing breakable glass lenses so close to your eyes isn’t the smartest thing to do, is it? Most sports safety goggles are made using shatter-resistant heavy plastics such as polycarbonate. You can even get prescription lenses made out of these shatterproof plastics as well.

Sports Equipment

The heavy wood surfboards of yesterday have been quickly replaced with plastics that combine plastic foam and thermoplastic composites to offer enhanced wave riding action and increased buoyancy. Your tennis racquet is typically made using high density plastics as well. Most modern day racquets combine plastics and carbon fiber. This makes them stronger and stiffer yet lighter than previous models.

Shoes

Not the first thing that would come to your mind. Probably not the last one either. This unexpected item relies on durable plastic soles to keep you comfy while running, jumping or kicking. In fact, Nike uses recycled polyester plastic to make its Flyknit sneakers, using up 182 million plastic bottles from landfills.

Bikes

Gone are those days when bikes were actually so simple that you could probably make them in your backyard modern day bikes use carbon fiber reinforced plastics to combine strength, reliability and durability while keeping the weight of the bike in check. These high density polymers have made their way to the seat posts, handlebars, frames, cranks and rims.

Pole Vault

What’s the first thing that comes to your mind when you look at that pole vault? A piece of wood? Bamboo perhaps? Not today! The 1950s saw a switch to glass fiber and plastics, and the world has been grateful ever since. Modern day pole vaults are lighter, more flexible and stronger than ever, helping athletes reach gravity-defying height.

Our intelligent use of heavy plastics has done wonders to improve and enhance the environment, the economy and our lifestyle. And with new research conducted on a daily basis, we should see plastics hold an even more important place in our lives in the near future.

Teens Tackle Lead Poisoning the Way They Know Best

Tags

lead replacement, Nontoxic high density materials

Forgotten Homes is a one-track CD released by student interns working with Fresh Camp, a non-profit that helps youth learn how to create socially-messaged shirts and music to give a voice to their ideas and feelings. This particular soundtrack comes with an incredibly important message – a call to action to eradicate the dangers of lead.

The lyrics of Forgotten Homes remind us of the dangers posed by one of the most dangerous materials of today, one that was responsible for the entire Flint fiasco. The 5-minute track features five young men who demand their community to do more to prevent the Cleveland area kids from being poisoned by lead through the use of lead, highlighting the importance of lead replacement and nontoxic high density materials.

The Underlying Issues

Gun violence and lead poisoning – two of the most persistent problems of Cleveland – have been highlighted in the video and the team – whose members spent most of their summer holidays pouring over historic, policy and biological reasons behind the lead poisoning crisis of Cleveland – is also expected to perform several songs at the Ingenuity Fest.

A single vial of lead dust is all it takes to contaminate an entire household, to drastically drop your child’s IQ. Lead poisoning means that your kid is twice as likely to drop out of school, to do poorly in math, to end up in all kinds of trouble. Yet we aren’t taking the issue too seriously, are we? Since lead poisoning isn’t evident unless you get yourself tested, it is like a silent assassin, killing undetected, until it is too late to do anything about it.

Generations of minority kids were allowed to live in deteriorating conditions as racism ran rampant in housing and policy decisions, and this created the perfect conditions for violence, lead poisoning and asthma. The problem isn’t with the kids. The underlying problems lie in the environment, their surroundings.

Solving this long-riding crisis isn’t easy by any means, but with the right lead replacement strategies and use of non-toxic high density materials, there’s no reason why one cannot control and slowly eradicate the issue from their neighborhood and environment.

A New Start

Once 17-year-old Derrick Washington came up with the beats, the lyrics just seemed to flow through. A song was born. A song that could possibly move generations. But it wasn’t just about singing. Fresh Camp is also creating a line of t-shirts and wearable billboards to spread their message. They plan to tour schools around Cleveland to spread the message. They also dream of meeting City Council members.

Most would find it too much to digest, but this lot just turned into a beautiful song. I came from all the forgotten homes, lead fallin’ from the windows. Whoever said a song couldn’t move mountains!

Plastic Adopton Increasing with New EU Car Emission Targets

Tags

high density materials, high-density plastics

A recent story suggesting that diesel engines will all but disappear from a majority of European vehicles due to the increasing emission standards became news all through the month of September. The future of diesel cars in Europe has always always been under scrutiny ever since the new EU-emission targets were released, and this allows high density materials to make their move.

“Renault has always said that it will adapt its offer according to the local market demand,” says Chloe Yemm, a spokesperson for Groupe Renault. The leading automobile manufacturer has typically been a heavy investor in diesel technology and diesel automobiles make up as much as 70% of its sales in the UK.

The adoption of diesel cars came under scrutiny since the Kyoto treaty of 1997 that pledged to introduce solid measures to reduce carbon emissions across Europe by 25% over a 10 year period. Some may argue that diesel engines emit 15% less carbon when compared to petrol, but the fact that they emit four times the nitrogen oxide compared to their petrol counterparts makes quite dangerous to the environment. In fact, the World Health Organization classified diesel engine exhaust as ‘carcinogenic’ in the year 2012.

New emission standards are expected to come into effect in the European Union by the year 2021. Car manufacturers need to achieve an average of 95 grams of CO2 per kilometer, with limits being set on the value curve according to vehicle mass. These standards shall begin to be phased into the system by the year 2020.

The government is also offering strong financial incentives to meet these standards. From the year 2019, any fleet with an average that is over emission standards shall be charged €95/gram of emissions excess for its registered vehicles. Before the VW scandal rocked the world, automobile manufacturers were banking on diesel vehicles to meet these targets.

However, since the scandal, most diesel models are finding it difficult to meet nitrous oxide emission limits without a complete redesign and this means that they are no longer cost-effective solutions to achieve and maintain fleet averages.

To meet these emission standards within the limited timeframe, manufacturers are now looking at lightweighting the vehicles, particularly since this is already a trend in the current market. Metal prices have been strongly affected in the wake of UK’s Brexit vote, and this leaves high density materials, particularly high density plastics such as nylon, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and polypropylene (PP), in a strong position to make the most of any light weighting initiative.

The Plastics and Polymer Composites in Light Vehicles report published by the American Chemistry Council already showed us how high density plastics offer an exciting alternative for metals. The report states that automotive plastic materials make up for as much as 50% of a vehicle’s volume, but just 8% of its weight.

The limited time frame and ‘real world’ testing has led to the shift away from diesel and this means that more and more automobile manufacturers will turn to proven solutions such as lightweighting rather than risk expensive research and development, and this switch to high density materials could prove to be a boon in more ways than one.