Lead dust is most often found in buildings and homes that are more then 30 years of age. It comes from deteriorating lead paint. For children under 5 years, parts per million usually add up to toxic levels in the blood and brain, effecting developmental growth, speech and the learning curve. I remember managing a property built in the early 1900's. A boy, age 3, lived with his mom on the second floor. The kid had a bright personality, but his speech was garbled. Only mother could understand him. When he entered a government sponsored pre-school program 6 months later, a blood test revealed that he had lead poisoning. A city codes inspector came to the apartment and sampled the dust. It turned out to be very high in lead.
It can be very expensive to remove toxins like lead from a 30 unit building. Fortunately, I learned, the code allowed the owner to correct the problem by through containment. This meant sealing in the lead contaminate by attaching sheetrock to the existing walls, sealing all seams and cracks around window jambs, trim work and corners and then repainting all surfaces with non-lead paint.
Otherwise, all of the plaster would have been removed, along with a ton of oak lathe including the installation of all new sheetrock and 3-coats of paint. After the work was complete, the boy was again tested and although his lead level was down, it was still in the danger zone. The lady and her son moved shortly thereafter. When I became interested in going green, I began learning about indoor pollution first. Carpets breed dust mites, dark-condensing air ducts mitigate mold spores and gas heating units give off carbon emissions in the home. A crack in the basement floor or wall could allow radioactive 'radon' gas to seep into the breathing space of the environment. Serious health liabilities are incurred by the mere apathy or lack of knowledge.
It seems critical for folks to take an active roll in becoming more aware of inner pollution and then seeking qualified advice to resolve it.
