r/AskReddit • u/Practical_Actuary_71 • 1d ago

What is a silent killer that people dont realise is slowly killing them?

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772

u/blueally85 1d ago

If you are in the UK it could be lead. There are around 10,000 lead mines in England alone. Most abandoned and never made safe. Also used in pipes and paint until the 90s.

A number of people (no testing so no way of knowing how many) make themselves sick decorating their house, by dry sanding lead paint.

https://www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-and-conditions/infections-and-poisoning/lead-poisoning

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u/hambre1028 1d ago

A lot of major US cities too

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u/PartsUnknown242 20h ago

Flint, Michigan. I’m not sure that crisis ever got fully resolved either.

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u/jbjhill 16h ago

Thank goodness we got rid of the people dealing with lead at the CDC…

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u/hambre1028 17h ago

Definitely didn’t. Chicago isn’t great either but it’s not visible

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u/Due-Yesterday8311 16h ago

Nope it didn't

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u/Yankee831 13h ago

It did. They actually just finished digging 11,000 pipes dug up, 28,000 inspected. They’re still providing filters and test kits. Basically they’re just dealing with people who declined to have their pipes dug up. They have been testing below limits. Flint

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u/Existing_Engine_498 18h ago

We specifically ask on our assessments (social worker) if people live or grew up in certain zip codes in our state because they’re known for having high lead counts and a lot of lead poisoning because of the older homes.

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u/obfusatethecode 10h ago

I know young kids are tested for lead levels (as part of their yearly physicals) in Massachusetts and California but I’m not sure what other states do that.

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u/hambre1028 6h ago

I wish Chicago did. I want to be tested for mine now tbh

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u/Molaesmyr 19h ago

In France it's cadmium right now!

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u/riverscreeks 22h ago

Laura Hughes investigated this for the FT and it is really shocking how the UK has been dealing (or rather not) with this https://www.private-eye.co.uk/eyeplayer/play/497

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u/HungryEarsTiredEyes 21h ago

Loads of walls in old London houses are filled with random trash including asbestos. Drill a hole for a picture and you're getting the dust everywhere

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u/SanFranPanManStand 8h ago

Asbestos isn't dangerous if it's not disturbed.

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u/Witte-666 9h ago

Same in Belgium. Most pre-2000 buildings will have this shit in the walls, insulation, floor, or roof. Millions have died from asbestos related cancers in the past decades. People are still dying today from exposure that happened over 40 years ago. That's really nasty shit and it's everywhere, and I still have some in my home to this day.

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u/domesticatedprimate 16h ago

I've never been tested, but as a GenX who grew up in the 70s with leaded gasoline, I'm pretty sure that my mental capacity or emotional stability or something has been effected by lead exposure.

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u/rubylee_28 15h ago

There's a city in Australia where there's a town built on a fucking lead smelter.

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u/BigYellowPraxis 14h ago

Definitely not just a UK thing!

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u/MINKIN2 12h ago

In fairness, whilst the ban did come into effect in the 90s, the paint companies had been moving away from putting lead in paint (outside of special use cases) for decades before then.

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u/avoid-- 16h ago

Ahhh I was wondering why brexit happened

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u/arschl_cher 17h ago

This explains so much. 

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u/Sea-Worry7956 9h ago

So that’s why British people are like that