FOR RELEASE THE WEEK OF JUNE 24, 2001:
How concerned should I be about lead in my child's environment? I'm a new mom and I'm wondering whether the dangers have mostly been eliminated through laws and regulations or whether they're still out there.
They're still out there, says Diane Demarest, coordinator of the University of Idaho's Parents as Teachers demonstration project. Potential sources of lead include:
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 890,000 children in America have elevated levels of lead in their blood. If you live in a home that may have lead it in, have your child tested when he or she is six months old, then retested every year, advises Demarest.
"The long-term effects of lead in a child can be severe," she says. They include mental retardation, learning disabilities, decreased growth, hyperactivity, impaired hearing and reduced attention span.
To lower the risk of lead poisoning, keep the areas where your child plays as dust-free and clean as possible, encourage your child to play in sand or grassy areas instead of in dirt, make sure your child does not chew on anything covered with lead paint, hire a specially trained person to remove any lead paint you may have, and call your local health department or water supplier to learn how to have your drinking water tested.
For more information, call the National Safety Council's Lead Information Center at (800) 424-5323.
How can I control downy mildew in my walnut tree?
Downy mildews are common on hardwood trees but don't usually kill the plant, says Yvonne Carree Barkley, University of Idaho Extension forestry associate. The fungi overwinter as spores in the fallen leaf litter under the tree. In the spring, active spores are splashed onto the tree's new growth by rain, wind and sprinkler irrigation.
"The best way to control a fungus like this is to rake up the diseased leaves in the fall and remove them from the site," says Barkley. Bag and discard the leaves; don't compost them, because home-compost piles aren't likely to get hot enough to kill the fungal spores.
Raking up walnut leaves is always a good practice because they contain a substance called juglone that can inhibit growth in some other plants, Barkley says.
Fungicide treatments can also be helpful in preventing damage caused by downy mildew. Check with your local garden center for a product that's labeled for use on walnut, and follow the instructions carefully.
"Bovine cartilage" is listed as one of the ingredients in a dietary supplementary that I take. Is there any chance that this product could be contaminated with the prions thought to be responsible for "mad cow" disease?
The chance that any of the estimated 25,000 supplements sold in the U.S. would contain infected material is "extremely low," says Martha Raidl, University of Idaho Extension nutrition specialist. "That's because U.S. law forbids the importation of any bovine ingredients from countries such as Britain, France and Ireland, where bovine spongiform encephalopathy has been found."
In addition, most domestic manufacturers of supplements use only U.S. ingredients, she says. And the U.S. Food and Drug Administration inspects about 60 supplement makers each year and checks on the origin of their ingredients.
[READERS: Do you have a question about your home, yard or garden? Send it to HomeWise, University of Idaho Ag Communications, Moscow, ID 83844-2332 or e-mail it to homewise@uidaho.edu. Mention of proprietary products or firms does not constitute endorsement by the University of Idaho Cooperative Extension System or imply approval to the exclusion of other suitable products or firms.]