Be safe, have your home tested for lead contamination

Q: One of my colleagues found out that his 10-month-old had elevated lead levels from exposure to lead paint dust in their Brooklyn apartment. It made me wonder how common this problem is. And what about adults — are they affected, too? — Katie D., Brooklyn, N.Y.

A: Lead exposure among children is high where older housing stock (that’s pre-1978, although pre-1950s is most problematic) 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 yards and fields where lead from lead-containing gasoline settled and remains to this day.

Adults are vulnerable, too. 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, triggering cardiovascular woes.

There’s really no safe level of exposure to lead, and it appears to be a larger problem than we once realized. 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 of lead per square foot for floors and 250 micrograms of lead per square foot for windowsills. Intact lead paint rarely is a hazard.

If you suspect or know that there’s a problem, have your child’s blood tested. A blood lead level of 10 ug/dl is a concern; you should reduce exposure pronto. At higher levels, medical treatment is required.

Don’t remove lead-based 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 — an essential oil I think — has cancer-killing properties. Is that true? — Gregory F., Urbana, Ill.

A: Plant-derived essential oils and other substances that have a profound effect on human physiology are in the news lately, as researchers look for less-toxic and more-effective therapies for everything from diabetes and cancer to depression and autoimmune diseases.

In fact, 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. Isolation of several compounds from the mayapple, for example, ultimately led to the development of drugs that treat testicular and small-cell lung cancer.

As for daffodils, new research has tested the anti-cancer properties of an extract from that flower called hemanthamine. It appears that down the road, 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 health- and life-threatening. Furthermore, online extracts are generally NOT regulated. There’s no way to know what you’re getting (contamination or deception often adds unlabeled ingredients). Be careful of exposure to compounds such as phthalates, which they may contain.

And a study presented at ENDO 18, the Endocrine Society’s 100th annual meeting in Chicago, reveals a potential link between abnormal breast growth in young boys and regular exposure to hormone disruptors in lavender and tea tree oils (they’re in consumer products).

However, for most adults, essential oil aromatherapy (using only essential oils like lavender) can help you sleep, feel less anxiety in an MRI or relieve pain.

So be smart about your use of essential oils and other extracts. Let the scientists figure out how to best deliver their amazing cancer-controlling powers so that they are both safe and effective. You don’t want to end up needing conventional medical intervention because of a “natural therapy.”

Mehmet Oz, M.D. is host of “The Dr. Oz Show,” and Mike Roizen, M.D. is chief wellness officer and chair of Wellness Institute at Cleveland Clinic. Email your health and wellness questions to Dr. Oz and Dr. Roizen at youdocsdaily@sharecare.com.