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MORE THAN 11 PERCENT OF ALL CHILDREN younger than six in the United States have unsafe levels of lead in their blood, making lead poisoning the number one environmental health hazard for children.
The major source of lead poisoning is from the lead-based paint in our own homes. According to the National Center for Lead-Safe Housing, about 79 percent of all privately-owned housing built before 1978 contains lead-based paint.
Lead is toxic to all humans, but it’s more dangerous to children because they are more likely to ingest lead-based paint by chewing on painted surfaces. Lead paint has a sweet taste which children like. They are also more inclined to inhale or swallow lead-based paint dust because they like to put their hands and other objects in their mouths. Children are more vulnerable to lead poisoning because their growing bodies absorb more lead and their developing brains and nervous systems are more sensitive to the harmful effects of lead.
Young children may not have any symptoms at first, but the cumulative effects of lead poisoning can cause behavioral problems, delayed development, hearing impairment, permanent brain damage and even death. Pregnant women exposed to high levels of lead can transfer it to their unborn babies. Mothers can also transfer lead to their nursing infants.
Lead is poisonous because the human body can’t tell the difference between lead and calcium, a mineral which strengthens bones. Like calcium, lead remains in the bloodstream and then becomes permanently absorbed into the bones.
A Brief History of Lead
Lead has been used since ancient times for making metal objects, paint pigments and ceramic glazes. In 370 BC, Hippocrates probably documented one of the first environmental hazards when he recognized lead as the cause of a severe attack of colic in a man who extracted metals. Occupational lead poisoning was probably ignored for centuries because most of the affected workers were slaves.
The Romans used lead compounds to sweeten and preserve foods. They also used lead for eating utensils, for lining water and wine storage vessels and to surface their aqueducts. The Romans invented lead water pipes. Plumbers get their name from “plumbum,” which is the Latin word for lead. Some historians theorize that lead poisoning was one of the causes of the fall of the Roman Empire.
During the Middle Ages, lead was used for roofing materials and in the manufacture of glass. In the early 1700s, the practice of lining rum kegs with lead was outlawed in the colony of Massachusetts because of the ill health effects suffered from drinking the contaminated spirits. Australia outlawed the use of lead paint in residences In 1906, as did Germany in 1926. In the United States, the amount of lead used in lead-based paint was reduced in 1950.
The Consumer Products Safety Commission banned the sale of lead-based paint for use in residences in 1980 (1978 in California), although it can still be used for some industrial, marine and military applications. The U.S. banned the use of lead in pipes and plumbing fixtures in 1986, banned lead solder in food cans in 1995 and is currently phasing out lead in gasoline.
Older homes have the highest risk for lead-based paint contamination. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that lead-based paint was used in about two-thirds of the houses built before 1940, in one-third of the houses built from 1940 to 1960, and in some houses built since 1960. During the 1950s, latex paint became the most popular choice for interior walls.
One of the main causes of household lead poisoning is the improper removal of old lead-based paint by sanding and scraping during remodeling and renovation. The lead accumulates as household dust and in the soil surrounding the house, where it can be inhaled or ingested.
The Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act
In November, 1992, President Bush signed the Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act into law. The law was finally implemented in late 1996. These are the major provisions of the law.
- Sellers and landlords of pre-1978 housing must disclose any known lead-based paint hazards to buyers and tenants. However, the seller or landlord is not required to test for or abate any lead-based paint hazards.
- The seller or landlord must provide a copy of the EPA’s pamphlet entitled “Protect Your Family From Lead in Your Home.” California real estate agents can substitute an updated version of the “Environmental Hazards, A Guide for Homeowners and Buyers” booklet.
- The prospective home buyer has 10 days to conduct a risk assessment or test for lead-based paint hazards before the sales contract becomes final. However, tenants don’t have this same 10-day testing period before signing a rental agreement.
- Sales contracts and leasing agreements must include lead warning statements and acknowledgements signed by both parties. Sellers and landlords must retain the signed documents for three years.
- Real estate agents must comply with the law if the seller or landlord fails to do so. Buyers’ agents are exempt unless they receive compensation from the seller.
- The renovation guidelines of the act go into effect in June, 1999. They will require renovation contractors to make similar disclosures to homeowners.
How To Reduce Your Risk of Lead Poisoning
Whether you are a buyer, seller, tenant or a concerned homeowner, there are several things you can do to reduce your risk of lead poisoning.
- Consult your doctor or health clinic about having your children tested for lead poisoning. Children at risk should be tested at the age of 6 months. Even if your child is not at risk, they should have a blood test at age one and again at age two. Some school districts require blood tests when children enroll in kindergarten.
- If your home was built before 1978 and you have children aged six or younger, you should have the home thoroughly tested for lead contamination. Call or visit the county health department, which has several free brochures about lead, or call the EPA’s National Lead Information Clearinghouse at 800-424-5323.
- Lead-based paint can be a hazard anywhere it is peeling, chipping, chalking or cracking. Lead can be present in household dust and the soil surrounding the house. Friction and impact surfaces such as doors, windows, floors and railings can release contaminated particles which can be inhaled and ingested.
- If lead-based paint is present in your home, you should employ a certified abatement contractor. You have the choice of removing the paint, replacing the painted materials, encapsulating the paint with a special liquid coating or containing the paint underneath a hard surface such as paneling or drywall. Never burn wood which has been painted with lead-based paint – it generates toxic lead fumes. All lead-based paint should be treated as hazardous waste and disposed of accordingly.
- Have your paint tested before you do any sanding, scraping, remodeling or renovation work. If lead-based paint is present, don’t do the renovation or remodeling work yourself. Hire a contractor who has the proper equipment and is familiar with safe procedures for removing and disposing of contaminated materials.
- If the soil around your house is contaminated with lead, it should be removed or covered with a permanent barrier such as concrete or asphalt. Don’t plant vegetables in any soil you suspect may be contaminated with lead-based paint or lead from gasoline spills. Carrots and leafy vegetables can absorb the lead and transfer it into your body.
- Painted toys and household furniture made before 1978 may contain lead-based paint. You should test any suspected items before exposing them to young children, especially high chairs, cribs and playpens.
- If your child spends more than 10 hours a week at a day care center, ask about lead-based paint hazards at the child care facility.
- If you think your drinking water may contain lead, call the county health department or the EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 800-426-4791 for information about testing and remediation. Replace any lead pipes and reduce the acidity of your water. Acid water tends to leach out lead and copper and also corrodes pipes and fixtures. However, most water pipes quickly develop a mineral coating which prevents the lead from contacting the water.
- Some imported ceramics, including many common pottery items from Mexico, have lead-based glazes and can contaminate food. Don’t store liquids in leaded crystal. Contact the Food and Drug Administration at 800-332-4010 for information about testing these items.
- Some hobbies and occupations may expose you to lead hazards, such as making stained glass windows, loading ammunition, refinishing furniture and handling lead fishing weights. Be sure to wash your hands and clothes after handling these materials and separate these activities from your house and children.
Some state and local agencies can arrange for lead testing and abatement services at no cost, or offer financial help. Call your county health department or the HUD Office of Affordable Housing Programs at 202-708-2470 for information.
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Chet Boddy, Real Estate Appraisal, Sales and Consulting
43300 LR Airport Road, #59, Little River, CA 95456
707-937-4011, office
707-937-4818, fax
chet@chetboddy.com
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Copyright © 2002 Chet Boddy, All Rights Reserved
Chet Boddy is a Certified General Real Estate Appraiser, Realtor“ and real estate consultant who has lived on the Mendocino Coast since 1976. Look for this and other real estate columns on Chet’s web site at www.chetboddy.com
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