Checking your family’s exposure to lead

Q: One of my colleagues found out his 10-month-old had elevated lead levels from paint dust. It made me wonder how common this problem is. — Katie D., Brooklyn, New York

A: Lead exposure among children is high where older housing stock ( pre-1978) is riddled with dust-producing lead paint. According to the New York Post, in 2017, NYC Housing Authority officials found potential lead-paint hazards in 81 percent of the nearly 8,900 apartments housing children under age 6. Older rural and suburban homes also can be contaminated — and so can fields where lead from lead-containing gasoline settled.

A recent study published in The Lancet estimates that 400,000 deaths annually in the U.S. are a result of chronic low levels of lead exposure.

There’s really no safe level of exposure to lead. So, to test your home, water and yard:

Contact your state or county health department. Some provide testing services or maintain lists of services and certified lead professionals.

You can use a home dust test kit and send it to a lab for results. HUD standards for lead dust are 40 micrograms per square foot for floors and 250 micrograms for windowsills.

If you suspect a problem, have your child’s blood tested. A blood lead level of 10 ug/dl is a concern.

Don’t remove leadbased paint yourself.

Have your water and yard tested for lead.

A diet rich in iron and calcium, and low in saturated and trans fats, causes the body to absorb less lead.

Q: I heard that a natural extract from daffodils has cancer-killing properties. Is that true? — Gregory F., Urbana, Illinois

A: The National Cancer Institute has screened approximately 35,000 plant species for potential anti-cancer activities and found 3,000 species with reproducible anticancer activity.

As for daffodils, new research has tested an extract from that flower called hemanthamine. Its anti-cancer properties may be tested in clinical trials.

But that does NOT mean you should use daffodil extract/essential oil in hopes of battling or preventing cancer.

Some extracts of plant-derived substances can be lethal if ingested or absorbed through the skin. For example, ingesting wintergreen oil is potentially life-threatening. Furthermore, online extracts are generally NOT regulated. Be careful of exposure to compounds such as phthalates, which they may contain.

Email questions for Mehmet Oz and Mike Roizen to youdocsdaily@sharecare. com.