apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

oh boy. does anyone else realize that all of our parents and grandparents had lead based painted toys their whole lives? And last time I checked they werent anymore violent than the next person.

Im all for eliminating lead - especially in the home - but I think this is a bit crazy to try and link things like this.

So how do I get my home tested for lead?
I live on an Army base in a house that is at least 50 years old. I've heard of DIY lead tests, but then I've also heard they are a waste of money and don't work? Anyone know how I get it tested?

It wouldn't surprise me to learn that lead exposure can affect brain chemistry, but on the other hand I'm skeptical... kids exposed to lead are probably also at a much higher risk of being exposed to all the other dangers of poverty, so I am very curious how well this study screened other factors. And too lazy/busy to read it myself.

This is news? We've already known that high lead levels are linked to lower IQs and especially difficulty with impulse control and executive functioning. Is it rocket science that people who have less capacity for critical thinking and for recognizing the consequences of actions are more likely to use aggression to solve problems?

The media likes to present us with stereotypes of all people with mental retardation as smiley innocent people who are dependent for their care and all criminals as sneaky masterminds. In reality, the prison population has a lower average I.Q. than the general population, but usually only by one standard deviation. In other words, many of the folks in prison are people who have mild mental retardation, but it isn't apparent until they undergo psychological testing in the prison system. These are the folks who seem like everyone else on a daily basis, but fall through the cracks in school, employment, etc. Lead exposure generally doesn't cause more severe mental retardation.

@chandlertoth: Do you have children? At least in Massachusetts, rental properties need to be tested for lead if children live there. Lead testing is routinely done when homes are put up for sale, as well. In the meantime, if you're unsure whether your home has lead pipes, you can flush your pipes before using water for drinking/cooking and only use cold tap water for drinking/cooking. Wipe painted surfaces frequently and vacuum/sweep frequently so that lead paint dust isn't sitting around where it can be mouthed itself or get onto toys or hands which are then mouthed. You can also paint over all of the painted surfaces to make sure at least that the superficial layer of paint isn't lead-based.