HAMILTON, Ohio — Most people feel safe in the privacy of their own home, yet there are numerous toxins that can make their way into a home and cause harm to its inhabitants.

Get the lead out

For years, lead was an element commonly added to products used in and around the home. Lead poisoning can be found in adults and children, being much more harmful to the latter.

There are numerous ways children can be exposed to lead. Coming in contact with lead-based paint is the most common. Children can be accidentally exposed by chewing on woodwork or by hand-to mouth-transfer of lead particles.

According to Judi Ginther, a registered nurse and director of nursing for the Butler County Health Department, there is "no safe level of lead acceptable in a child's body."

"There are usually no visible symptoms of lead poisoning, although it affects virtually all of the body's systems," Ginther said. "It's most harmful to children under the age of 6 because lead is easily absorbed into their growing bodies."

Lower levels of exposure are linked to decreased intelligence, slowed growth, attention deficit and hyperactivity and Alzheimer's disease later in life.

In severe levels, if untreated, lead poisoning can cause mental retardation, coma, convulsions or death.

Testing for lead poisoning is a requirement for every child on public assistance between the ages of newborn to 6 years of age, she said.

A finger stick blood test is usually administered to children at the age of 12 months and 24 months during routine wellness visits. Children under the 6 years of age are tested if they've not been tested before.

A silent killer

Carbon monoxide poisoning is a silent killer. Unborn babies, infants, young children and senior citizens are usually the first to succumb to the deadly gas.

"Carbon monoxide poisoning can happen any time of year but winter is when you usually hear about people dying from it," said Jim Dalzell, a public health sanitarian for the city of Hamilton. "It's a colorless, odorless, tasteless gas that can build up in any home."

Burning fuel produces carbon monoxide. Furnaces, wood stoves, kerosene heaters and several home appliances, such as gas-burning dryers and hot water heaters, are often the culprits.

When heating systems and appliances are functioning properly, carbon monoxide is not a problem, Dalzell explained. Carbon monoxide can quickly become a deadly threat if there is inadequate air exchange in a home — when a chimney or the vents are clogged, or when there's not enough fresh air circulating in the home.

Symptoms can include headache, feeling lethargic and dizziness.

A carbon monoxide detector can be a real life-saver. About $30 is all it takes to keep a family out of harm's way. A home may require more than one detector, depending on its size and layout.

Problems with radon

Radon is another type of colorless, odorless, tasteless gas. It seeps into buildings from the earth and rock surrounding them. It's also found in well water and building materials.

Radon is radioactive. It's the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the United States. The Ohio Department of Health estimates one in every two existing homes in Ohio has radon levels above the Environmental Protection Agency's recommended action level.

Radon levels in Ohio are affected by many factors including climate, geology and the fact that so many basements are utilized as living spaces. Most radon problems in existing homes can be fixed.

It's recommended to prevent radon problems when building a new home by using radon-resistant construction.

"We haven't received any calls about radon in the past couple of years," Dalzell said. "We don't have the equipment to test for radon."

More data and information on radon can be found at the Ohio Radon Information Web site at http://radon.utoledo.edu.

Locating asbestos

Asbestos is another material known to cause health problems. It has been used in a variety of construction materials for insulation and as a flame-retardant.

"Asbestos usually isn't a problem unless the materials containing asbestos are disturbed, usually during a renovation," Dalzell explained. "If someone suspects that they have a problem with asbestos, we recommend that they look for a private company to perform the tests and asbestos abatement if needed."

While exposure to asbestos doesn't have immediate symptoms, the long-term risks of prolonged exposure to airborne asbestos fibers include chest and abdominal cancers and lung diseases.

Most people diagnosed with asbestos-related diseases were exposed to elevated levels while earning a living.

Breaking the mold

In recent years, mold in homes has also become a health concern.

According to Hamilton physician Jeffrey Leipzig, a board-certified allergist, molds and other fungi may adversely affect human health through three processes — allergy, infection and toxicity.

Mold allergies are caused when people come into contact with mold spores. Superficial infections from molds include athlete's foot, thrush and ringworm.

"Certain molds can produce mycotoxins, which is actually much different from the spores most molds produce," Leipzig said. "Mycotoxins are basically a by-product of mold. In different settings they can cause illness or problems."

Mycotoxins found in the feed provided to cattle in an agricultural setting, for instance, could cause the animals to become ill. Research is currently under way to determine the effects of mycotoxins on humans when found in the home.

Due to the complexity of molds and the different ways molds affect human health, Leipzig said it's a topic that many people find confusing and there are currently no clear cut and dry answers.

"It's still being debated as to what level of toxic molds are actually harmful and how harmful it is, because immune systems are all so different," said Leipzig. "If you ever have mold (in the home), the biggest thing you can do is abatement, clean up the mold and get rid of the source of moisture. Mold needs moisture in order to grow."

Sandra M. Orlett writes for the Hamilton Journal News.