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White Hutchinson Leisure & Learning Group, Kansas City, MO, USA

LEAD: AN UNSEEN HAZARD IN THE PLAYGROUND & GARDEN

Be sure to test your soil for lead content. Contact your Cooperative Extension Office in your area to find out about soil testing. Lead dust in a garden or play area can be very dangerous to small children. As they run or dig in the ground, children can inhale small particles of dust. Hands and toys dropped on the soil can be a source of lead.

HAVE KIDS WASH THEIR HANDS OFTEN!

If lead is a problem in your soil, the following can help:

• Build a covered sandbox where children can dig. This is safer than digging in contaminated soil.
• Always wash children's hands before eating.
• When eating outdoors, eat at a table. Wipe the table or use a cloth.
• Check the ground around your building for paint chips. Throw them away.
• Feed children before sending them out to the garden or playground. Recent studies have shown that if lead is ingested on an empty stomach, up to 80% is absorbed by the body; on a full stomach, the body absorbs much less--about 10%.
• Help keep children generally healthy through a good balanced diet. One that is high in fiber, calcium and iron and low in fat will contribute to good general health and may help specifically by preventing the absorption of low levels of lead by the body.
• If children are actively gardening, consider planting in raised beds filled with clean soil and compost. Give kids their own work gloves to wear while gardening.
• Have children ages 1-6 tested yearly for lead. This can be done at a public clinic or through a private doctor.

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