CASE STUDIES

Case Study One:

Toxic Heirlooms

Our staff visited a home where a sick 2-year-old boy had tested very high for lead in his blood. Others believed that the toddler had been poisoned by lead in the siding of the house, but we weren’t so sure. After exhaustively testing the interior of the home with the XRF analyzer and finding no sources of the toxin, our staff became suspicious that lead exposure was coming from a different source.

We asked to see the plates the little boy was eating from, which were antiques. We immediately found that the glaze on the ceramic dishes tested for high lead content! Microwaving food on these plates only increased the danger. Sadly, the child was literally eating lead with his dinner. As you can imagine, the mother was terribly upset that the special plates she used with her son were actually hurting him. However, she was very grateful that we were able to discover the source of exposure.

NWGB Lead cares about you and your safety, and will work hard to ensure that your home or building is safe from lead exposure.

Case Study TWO:

Dangerous Dust

The Brown County Planning Department received an application to evaluate the home of a family in northern Wisconsin whose two children had elevated lead levels. NWGB Lead was sent to the house to find the source of the lead. After testing with the XRF analyzer, lead was found throughout the house. Highly concentrated levels were found in the basement.

The owner explained the father had been sanding and planing wood siding in the basement. NWGB Lead discovered that when he was sanding, lead-filled dust from the wood siding was blowing around the basement and then sent throughout the home via the furnace.

Contractors were brought in to clean up the house. They had to clean the furnace twice to remove all of the lead. After the cleaning, lead clearance tests passed, giving the kids the chance at a healthy life!

Parents want what is best for their kids. Nobody wants to put children at risk. Most people simply don’t realize where lead exposure comes from or how dangerous it can be, particularly for children. Learn more on our Resources page, or get in touch with us to begin the testing process.