Dealing with Lead and Lead-Based Paint
Government statistics indicate that over 65 million pre-1978 U.S. and Canadian houses contain lead-based paint. Until the late 40's, lead was used as a pigment in many paints, especially the lighter colors. Some paints contained as much as 50 percent lead by weight. Other pigments replaced lead in the 50's but smaller amounts were still used in some paints as a sealant or to accelerate drying. In the late 70's, both U.S. and Canadian authorities limited the amount of lead in interior paint to 0.6 and 0.5 percent by weight, respectively.
Lead in Homes
This material has been prepared to provide a brief overview of the issues and options associated with these products. The appropriate references and specialists should be consulted to address any particular health concern or lead exposure issue.
Over the years, lead has long been used in many products found in the home. While the hazards of exposure to lead have been a concern for many years, the issue has come under renewed scrutiny in recent years as there continues to be a relatively high number of lead poisoning cases despite the efforts to eliminate lead in the home. Lead poisoning is of most concern for children, particularly young children still undergoing rapid development of their brain and nervous system.
Lead poisoning can be caused by a number of products in a variety of ways. The greatest potential sources for exposure to lead in the home are lead in drinking water, lead-based paints and dust from lead paints. There are many variables regarding the risks posed by lead in the home. Among them are factors such as the condition of the home and the age and life style of the occupants.
Lead in Drinking Water
Drinking water may be contaminated with lead due to a high lead content in the water supply, due to leaching from lead water piping or pumping components, or from leaching from lead-based solder used to join copper piping.
Lead piping was commonly used for both water mains and interior household water piping in older homes. Lead- containing solders were used to join almost all copper water-supply pipe systems prior to a ban issued in 1988, and even sometimes thereafter.
The presence of lead piping or solder alone does not always indicate high levels of lead in the water, since the amount of lead leached from the solder depends upon the water chemistry. Many pipes actually develop an interior coating over time, which prevents the continued leaching of the lead into the water. But the corrosive action of soft or acidic water is more likely to leach lead from the piping or solder. In addition, water from the hot water supply will typically have a higher lead content than water from the cold water lines.
Lead leaching is a slow process. The most lead-laden water from the faucets would be the “first draw” (usually in the morning) or when the water has remained in the piping for a long period of time (six hours or longer). Usually, running the water from a faucet for several minutes before use will help rid the system of any water with potentially high concentrations of lead, reducing the risk.
Lead-Based Paint
Another common source of lead in the home is paint. Lead was used in all types of paint until the late l970s. A potential health hazard exists with lead-based paint peels and the paint chips are ingested, or painted surfaces such as window sills are chewed on by young children. Obviously, paint which is in good condition (not peeling, cracking, etc.) or that is removed using proper abatement methods is less of a potential health concern.
Lead Dust
Lead dust is another common source of lead poisoning in the home. On the exterior, paint can naturally weather and “chalk” and the resulting dust can wash down and contaminate the soil adjacent to the house.
This soil/dust can also be tracked into the house. House renovation (sanding and removal of lead paint) can also produce lead dust in significant quantities. In both cases, small children can ingest the lead contaminated soil or dust simply by placing their hands in their mouth. Workers and others exposed to lead-paint during renovation or removal work can also be affected.
Lead dust can also be created by the normal operation of windows with frames that are covered with lead-based paint. As the window sash is moved, the friction between the sash and frame breaks down the paint, resulting in lead dust which settles on the window sill and other surfaces throughout the house. Again, this dust is often ingested by small children due to their natural “hand to mouth” activity. This form of lead ingestion is now thought to actually be more serious than peeling paint, since paint dust can be absorbed more readily into the system.
Testing for Lead
There are a number of tests available to determine whether a material contains lead. With regard to drinking water, a lead test kit can be used to test piping and/or solder joints containing lead. Once it has been determined that lead is present in the piping, then the water must be tested to determine to what extent the lead is leaching into the water. Paint can be tested for lead content in several ways. Additional information on lead testing can be found in the Home Owner Information Guide: Remodeling and Lead-based Paint.
Remediation
If lead is found in materials in the house, remediation may be required. In many cases, the house occupancy and each individual's own level of concern becomes a critical factor in determining the path of action. In some cases, removal of the lead-containing products may be the best approach but could be costly. If desired, lead water pipes can be replaced with new piping. Solder joints which contain lead can be replaced by new solder joints which contain no lead. In either case, an alternate approach would be to install special water filters to remove the lead at the point of use or to install conditioning equipment to counteract water conditions which encourage lead leaching into the water. In some situations simply avoiding the “first draw” water will limit lead exposure.
To remediate lead paint, it must either be removed or encapsulated. Again, the condition can often be accepted and lived with as long as steps are taken to minimize exposure to deteriorated surfaces or lead dust.
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