Laws regarding
lead paint have been drafted and implemented at both the Federal
and State levels affecting a lot of housing in the United States.
The office of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) have played a pivotal role in drafting Title
X (ten) part of which directly affects the sale of all homes built
before 1978. Because of all the publicity that lead paint has generated,
it is important to understand what it is, how it is tested for and
what to do about it if it is found to be in your home.
Lead paint is a toxic substance that owners
of older homes should be aware of and take appropriate steps to
either contain or remove. Lead was used as a pigment and drying
agent in alkyd oil based paints, latex water based paints generally
have not contained lead. Because of the popularity of alkyd paints
in the 1940's through the 1960's, there are many sources for lead
exposure in a household. Primarily, deteriorating lead paint surfaces
and lead dust are attributed as the most common cause of lead poisoning.
Exposure is also possible from lead in water, in food, lead glazed
ceramics, lead paint on toys and in art paint. Because the symptoms
of poisoning from lead based paint can be subtle and difficult to
diagnose, it is important to test for lead paint if the house was
built before 1978 and contains peeling or flaking paint.
%
of Lead Painted Surfaces on Housing Components |
INTERIOR |
EXTERIOR |
Walls/Ceiling |
6% |
Stair/Balconies |
3% |
Doors |
16% |
Doors |
15% |
Baseboards |
19% |
Door Trim |
39% |
Door Trim |
23% |
Siding |
41% |
Window |
35% |
Railings |
50% |
Radiators |
60% |
Windows |
61% |
Lead paint is a neurotoxin. It effects
all of the bodies systems except for pulmonary where it can pass
straight through lungs. The greatest effects are to the Central
Nervous System via the Circulatory system as well as through absorption
into the bones. in people with iron and/or calcium deficiencies,
the uptake of lead into the system is exacerbated. The effects from
lead exposure vary according to duration and quantity of exposure.
Because it directly affects the Central Nervous System, lead can
precipitate a variety of ills including: High blood pressure, mood
changes, headaches, digestive problems, nerve disorders, muscle
and joint pains, kidney damage, suppressed libido, and even the
lowering of sperm count. The current blood lead level which defines
lead poisoning is 25 micrograms of lead per deciliter of blood.
Because children have a higher metabolism,
the lead can be absorbed into the system much quicker and create
serious problems. Brain damage, retardation, slow mental development,
irreversible learning disabilities, reduced IQ, attention deficit
disorders, hyperactivity, damage to kidneys, liver and permanent
neurological damage are all possible from exposure to lead.
Before the health effects of lead paint
were known, lead paint was considered one of the best means of protecting
against weathering of exterior surfaces. According to the Maryland
Department of the Environment, 61%' of all painted exterior areas
contained lead paint before 1940. In high quality paints, concentrations
of 40-60% lead was not uncommon. Figure 1 shows a statistical breakdown
of lead painted surfaces on house components from the late 1970's
back. Because of its' corrosion resisting qualities, lead paint
was most commonly used around windows (to seal wood trim) and on
railings to protect subsurfaces. Lead paint was also painted on
a variety of sidings and brick walls for added protection from the
elements. On clapboard shingle siding and on painted brick, of lead
paint oxidize and break down. If an off-white to white chalk is
noticed on these surfaces and the house was built before 1978, appropriate
steps should be undertaken to test whether it contains lead.
Inside of older houses (pre 1978) peeling
paint around radiators and windows could very possibly contain lead
paint. Lead paint was commonly used to paint radiators as it was
not affected by the heat being released. Many older homes may have
radiators that have the original paint. If it can be determined
whether it is original paint, it is highly recommended that it be
tested, especially if the paint is flaking or peeling. There are
three commonly used methods to test lead paint one of which the
home owner can utilize as an indicator as to the presence of lead
in the paint.
"Over the counter" lead paint
test can be purchased from hardware stores and paint stores. Most
of these test kits contain sodium sulfide solution which darkens
if lead is present. The darker the color the more concentration
of lead. These test are fairly inexpensive and can give clues as
to the possibility of lead paint. Unfortunately, the accuracy of
these kits can vary due to other metals causing false positive readings
as well as resins in the paint masking the lead, preventing the
sodium sulfide from reacting with it. In addition, dark color paints
may camouflage the test results as well as many coats of paints
hiding the base coat of lead paint. At this time, these tests have
not been evaluated by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
so they have not taken a position in regards to accuracy. It should
be noted that the Maryland Department of the Environment uses these
tests as an indicator for the presence of lead paint. There are
two other tests that are more accurate but they require professional
analysis of the sample.
An X-ray Fluorescence machine is a portable
machine that can measure lead content in-home. Because the machine
contains radioactive materials, the person conducting testing should
be a licensed professional with the state work is being conducted
in. These machines are convenient because they give readings on-site,
with little or no tum-around time. The down side is that the machines
will not read accurately on surfaces such as brick, metal and radiators.
As such, it is recommended that the operator be questioned as to
the percentage of error for each surface tested that is being tested
so that a true test result may. be deduced. Be sure that at least
three readings are conducted for each surface. If the results fall
between the 0.5 mg / cm2 and 2.0 mg / cm2 using the XRF, paint chip
analysis should be done for confirmation. 0.7 milligrams or more
per square centimeter is considered to be lead paint in many states.
The final testing protocol requires the
collection of a paint scrapping which is then sent to a lab for
analysis. This is considered the most accurate of the three although
it is also the most time consuming as well as an invasive test.
A home owner or qualified collection individual may collect the
sample. If the home owners decides to collect the sample, most testing
companies or labs will supply the necessary plastic bags or containers
in which to place the sample. Paint containing 0.5% or more by weight
in dried solid (also reported as 5000 milligrams per kilogram) is
considered lead paint. Following are the steps that a home owner
would follow if they choose to do the sampling on their own.
- Obtain sample container from testing
company or lab of choice. Label container with consumer's name
and address as well as specific location that each sample was
scraped from. (For greater accuracy, several samples should be
taken from each suspected area.)
- Using a sharp knife or chisel (flat end
up) cut through the edges of the sample paint. The company should
specify how much it needs to conduct the test but normally a 2"
x 2" sample will suffice.
- Lift off the paint with a clean, putty
knife and put sample into the container. Be sure to take a sample
of all layers of paint as the lower layers may contain the lead.
It is important NOT to get any of the bottom surface i.e. wood,
plaster, metal, or brick with the paint sample as it can adversely
affect the results.
- Wipe the surface and any paint dust with
a wet cloth or paper towel and discard same.
According to the U.S. Department of Housing
and Urban Development (HUD), if the results show a lead in pain
percentage greater than 0.5% by lab testing of greater than 1.0
milligrams per square centimeter by X-Ray Fluorescence, actions
to reduce exposure should be taken. It is especially important when
the paint is deteriorating or when pregnant women, infants or children
are present. Depending upon the condition of the paint and economic
considerations, there are different steps that can be implemented
to reduce lead paint exposure in the house.
Before executing any repairs, it is important
to remember that lead paint dust is a hazardous substance. Exposure
to lead paint dust should be kept to a minimum and steps need to
be taken to control and contain the lead dust. The following are
steps that can be taken to reduce the risks of lead paint in the
home.
1. Replace the lead painted item.
Items such as doors or other easily removable
objects can be removed as long as the removal can be done in a matter
that will keep the level of lead paint dust to a minimum. If the
item cannot be removed easily or the removal will create lead paint
dust, a professional should be called.
2. Cover the lead-based paint.
The surface can be covered gypsum wallboard
or can be sprayed with a sealant. It should be noted that these
are not long term solutions. It is possible that the lead-based
paint will continue to loosen lead paint dust or partially mix with
the new paint allowing lead paint dust to be released when the new
paint deteriorates. Sometimes it is even possible just to flip the
surface over, caulk and paint it to seal in the lead paint.
3. Have the lead-based paint removed.
Professionals trained and certified in the
remediation or removal of lead paint can be called to execute the
removal. Professionals have a variety of means available for removing
the lead paint including: sanding with sandpaper, scrapping, chemicals,
sandblasters and torches or heat guns. All of these methods can
produce lead fumes or dust that can be inhaled or ingested. Wet
methods help reduce the amount of lead dust but can release lead
laden water into the environment. It is important to make sure the
professional is containing the lead paint dust. Even if the work
only involves removing a surface and treating it outside of the
house, the process of removing the surface may release lead dust.
Because every house is different, it may be advisable to consider
not living in the house while this process is occurring. Consult
professional opinions before making this determination.
4. Reduce lead dust exposure.
Periodic wet mopping and wiping of surfaces
and floors with a high phosphorous cleaning solution can remove
lead paint dust. This can be achieved by mixing one tablespoon of
electric dishwasher detergent (at least 5% phosphate) with one gallon
of hot water. Wear waterproof gloves to prevent skin irritation.
This is a preventative measure and is not an alternative to removal
or replacement. Avoid activities that will disturb or damage lead
based paint and create dust.
5. Test dust for lead content.
It is possible to test dust for lead content.
Areas like window sills and floors are especially easy to test.
Sampling the dust is done with a wet nap (like one would find in
a restaurant). The lab then measures the nap and can report on the
lead content of the dust. When repairs or work is done in or around
an area suspected of containing lead, this test should be administered
either by the home owner or a professional testing company. In either
case, it is important that the wet nap may be exposed to any other
debris or dust so that an accurate reading can be obtained (we recommend
placing the sample in a new zip-lock bag, labeling room and location).
Following are the acceptable levels for lead per square foot of
surface area. Floor, below 200, Window sills, below 500 and Window
wells, below 800. Readings above this indicate elevate lead levels.
There are certain steps both the home owner
and the professional lead removing company should follow when doing
any work around the home.
- Home owners should keep children and
other occupants (especially high risk people like pregnant women
and those with blood pressure) out of the work area until repairs
are completed.
- All food and eating utensils should be
removed from the work area.
- Contractors should remove all furniture,
carpets, and drapes and seal the area where the work is to be
done from the rest of the house. The floor should also be covered
and sealed unless lead paint is being removed from it. No eating
or drinking should be permitted in the work area cabinets and
food contact surfaces should be covered and sealed.
- Contractors should either dispose of
or launder separately clothing worn in the work area. Workers
should not wear the clothes into other areas of the house.
- Debris should be cleaned using special
vacuum cleaners equipped with HEPA (high efficiency particulate
air) filters and should use a wet mop after vacuuming. Because
lead is a hazardous Material state and local regulations must
be obeyed in regards to proper disposal.
Although lead paint is being found with
less frequency as older homes are being replaced or upgraded, it
is still prevalent especially in urban area. Because lead paint
is dangerous do not take any chances, if you suspect it, test for
it. Below is a list of numbers of both Federal and State agencies
that can provide more information regarding lead in paint.
National Lead Information Center Hotline
and Clearinghouse. 0perated in conjunction with the EPA, HUD
and the Center for Disease Control. Information on Federal and
State lead issues. 800. LEAD-FYI. The clearinghouse for publications
relating to lead is 800. 424-LEAD. Fax number 202.695.1192 |
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Lead Poisoning Prevention Division-
Maryland Department of the Environment. 410.631.3859 for general
information regarding lead paint. |
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Maryland Occupational Safety and Health
(MOSH) 410. 333.4135 regarding worker safety. |
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Maryland Department of the Environment
Hazardous and Solid Waste Management Administration 410. 631.3859.
Questions about disposal of lead paint and related materials |
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