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Some vinyl blinds that have entered the market from foreign manufacturing facilities have been found to be toxic. Potentially dangerous levels of lead were found present in these mini blinds after testing had been completed by the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission. Although not all vinyl mini blinds are susceptible for contamination with lead that can potentially endanger the lives of small children, you should be sure to look for these types of vinyl blinds in your home to ensure that your family is not at risk of lead poisoning.
The vinyl blinds in question originate from manufacturing facilities in Mexico, Taiwan, China, and Indonesia. It is believed that these facilities include small amounts of lead in with the mix of the plastic material in order to make the plastic more stable and less likely to deform when included in the blind molds. The vinyl blinds produced by these facilities have a range of included lead, some ranging into extremely dangerous levels that have been known to cause medical and behavioral problems. When sunlight hits the vinyl blinds, the plastic will begin to deteriorate and leave behind a lead dust. This toxic dust can be consumed by young children, especially if they touch the blinds and then put their fingers in their mouths, which is a behavior prone to young children. The health problems from what is essentially lead poisoning can range from behavioral problems to hearing problems to an impeding of normal growth. After strenuous lab testing, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission concluded that a minimal amount of dust from approximately one square inch of these contaminated vinyl blinds over a one-month period could raise lead toxicity levels in a child’s blood into dangerous levels. Most vinyl blinds no longer have this problem with lead toxicity, as manufacturers have stopped using lead completely in order to provide stability to the plastic material. These blinds are clearly marked “lead free” or “contains no lead” on the box, so you should be sure to look for these words before purchasing any set of vinyl mini blinds. The cost between vinyl mini blinds that do not contain lead is not any higher than the lead-containing vinyl blinds, so be sure to take that extra measure in order to protect yourself and your family. Lead found in any product is extremely dangerous, but especially lead present in vinyl blinds because the extended exposure to sunlight that promotes the development of lead-based dust. Although lead-based vinyl mini blinds are rarely found on the market today, older mini blinds may have a presence of lead, which requires immediate replacement. This is especially critical if you move into a home that already has vinyl mini blinds installed, since you do not know the origin of those blinds and whether or not they are completely free from lead. Remember, the costs of vinyl mini blinds is negligible when it comes to the threat of a potential health problems for your children and anyone else who is living in your home. |
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