Arsenic was found in the landscaping timbers used at the school playground. What should I have my child tested for to determine if she has suffered from exposure to this?
Arsenic has been used in treating landscaping timber for years, but it was only fairly recently that the government issued a health warning about it. Many parents are, of course, concerned about the effects it might have on their children. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission feels that these timbers create an increased risk of lung or bladder cancer. If your child has played on the affected equipment a great deal, your doctor can test for high levels of arsenic. However, since the cancers involved usually take years to develop, it may not be evident that your child has been affected by the exposure for some time. To set your own mind at ease, you may wish to write down when you found out about the arsenic problem and approximately how many times and during what time period your child used the playground, in case this information is needed in the future in a lawsuit against the school district.
You may wish to consult with an attorney now to make sure that you are covering your bases with regards to the information that you are keeping and any statutes of limitations that may apply. In general, it is unlikely that the statute of limitations will start to run unless and until your child is actually diagnosed with any type of disease associated with the arsenic he has been exposed to; however, consultation with an attorney now will prevent unhappy surprises later.
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