Lead -Hidden Danger In Our Homes

[Turtle]

___The man from EPA just left my house with samples of paint the landlord scraped off last week. :eek: :eek: There is little doubt the samples contain lead & no doubt whatever we received no proper notification. :rant: There is big trouble a brewin' now! :bat:

___Now I knew there was likely lead, both in & out because of the age of this place; it was built in the 1940's as housing for the Keiser shipyard workers at Vancouver USA. In the knowing about lead, I simply made sure not to disturb it as this is how it spreads, ie in the sanding or scraping of leaded paint.

___Lead is also hidden in some homes in the form of solder on copper pipes & other metal plumbing fixtures. :bat: :bat:

____I'm wondering about those of you in other countries & how your governments handle the lead issue? :rant:

[Fishteacher73]

I know the biggest problem with lead was leaded gasoline. I cannot recall the fellow's name, but the scientist that discovered tetra-ethyl lead was good for stopping engine knock, also figured out that CFC's are good refrigerants.... There's some 1000 batting for the environment.

 

Most items I have seen seem to imply that just leaving the lead based paint alone is the best bet, or paint over it w/ latex. It is when it is flaking or removed that it becomes problematic by become airborne.

[Turtle]

___While watching Antiques Roadshow this even, on comes a tin childs sippy cup from the early 1900's soldered with lead! :eek: The appraiser commented on how smooth the lead was around the mouthpiece :rant: Chilling little thought given that the round headed kid that lives here is staying away & had to have blood drawn today to test for lead (his mother too; if they come up high I'm next!) Good grief! :rant:

[UncleAl]

Lead is absorbed. Lead is excreted. If input does not exceed output it hardly makes a difference. Don't wallow in the stuff. Everything additional is political - jackbooted State compassion.

 

The minimum fix is to paint over the leaded paint with a compatible paint to seal it in. You could scrape it all off. That would release an incredible flow of tiny particulates containing lead. Any time a government-mandated fix comes in at big bucks, you can be certain of three things:

 

1) You are being screwed.

2) Deserving government friends are making money and paying kickbacks

3) The probem will be intensified.

 

What are the current blood lead levels of those who are exposed? If they are not elevated, what difference would paint removal make?

 

Uncle Al says, "An advocate makes virtue of failure. The worse the cure the better the treatment - and the more that is required."

[Turtle]

___We do not know yet the blood levels for 2 of us that gave blood samples, one of whom is a child. The difference the paint removal makes is that as you say, a torrent of particles was released & we were exposed. It is true adults gnerally don't suffer severe effects from minor exposure, & that their bodies excrete the ingested lead. This is not true of children however, wherin the lead binds to fats & also affects the brain & nervous system.

___In regard to the government's role in this, I'm glad to have them on my side. The landlord knew there was lead, he knew it was dangerous, & he had no regard for our safety when it stood in the way of him spending money. Not much different in my view than attacking us with a deadly weapon, & that's when it's time to call the authorities.

___Keeping in mind I'm just one resident here & the reactions vary. One called the authorities, one does'nt seem to care, one is frightened, one is ready to beat the living crap out of the landlord if he shows up again to scrape, & one (myself) is not surprised to yet again see the selfish nature of people. I am retiring by nature, but I will fight when necessary.

___With all its failings & foibles, the government is ours; we make it, we pay for it, & we use it. Constant vigilance is the price of freedom. Tit for Tat

[Turtle]

In the US, we've experienced a spate of recalls of toys made in China lately because of lead in the paint. Another hiding place for lead danger in the home. :applause:

 

Buyer beware and all that, but I have questions on the lead in the paint. Why is there lead in paint? Why do the Chinese use it? What did we replace it with if anything, in paint? Is it cheaper than some other ingredient? They don't know the danger? A conspiracy to poison us? Simple mistakes? Is the US the only place these recalls are currently going on? :hihi:

 

More questions than answers. :applause:

[Queso]

I've seen documentaries of chinese ... bakeries that seriously cook with cardboard (and other horrible things that I forgot by now).

Nothing to do with lead, but,

 

wow. can't believe some people really value money over health.

[Turtle]

...Buyer beware and all that, but I have questions on the lead in the paint. Why is there lead in paint? Why do the Chinese use it? What did we replace it with if anything, in paint? Is it cheaper than some other ingredient? They don't know the danger? A conspiracy to poison us? Simple mistakes? Is the US the only place these recalls are currently going on? :confused:

 

More questions than answers. :)

 

Hello chemists!!!??? I have searched high & low on the web for an answer to my question above, but all I get are articles on the danger of lead in paint and nothing about why it's added in the first place. Well? :) :shrug: Little help here? .......:)

[freeztar]

Hello chemists!!!??? I have searched high & low on the web for an answer to my question above, but all I get are articles on the danger of lead in paint and nothing about why it's added in the first place. Well? :confused: :shrug: Little help here? .......

 

 

Because it's bright, durable, flexible, fast-drying, and cheap. Paint manufacturers mix in different lead compounds depending on the color of the paint. Lead chromates, for example, can enhance a yellow or orange hue. Municipal workers often use lead paint because it resists the color-dimming effects of ultraviolet light: The double yellow line in the middle of the road? That's loaded with lead. Paint manufacturers also add lead and other heavy metals to make paint stick better instead of flaking off. Price is also a factor: China mass-produces the stuff, and coloring agents like lead chromate are generally cheaper than organic pigments. (That said, added lead used to be a luxury. A house painter in the early 20th century would show up to a job with two buckets—one for the paint substrate, one for the lead powder. The more lead he added, the better the paint, the higher the price.)

 

Lead paint has other qualities that make it attractive to manufacturers. For one thing, it resists mildew, making it perfect for wood furniture and other surfaces likely to get wet. It's also anti-corrosive: Ship makers have historically applied a coating of lead paint, often containing the red mineral litharge, to the bottom of metal ships' hulls. (The Romans used lead paint, too—that's why the paint on some of their ruins is so well-preserved.)

 

But for all its utility, lead is dangerous even in small quantities. In 1978, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission made it illegal to use any paint containing more than 0.06 percent lead for residential structures, hospitals, and children's products. But it's still widely used on bridges, tanks, towers, heavy equipment, parking lots, road signs, and other large-scale projects. There's still lead in most consumer paints, too—just much, much less. Many paint manufacturers now use safer alternatives like zinc, although it doesn't quite match lead's luster or strength.*

 

Correction, Aug. 16, 2007: This article originally stated that bromide is a metal used in paint. It is actually an ion of bromine, which is a halogen, not a metal. (Return to the corrected sentence.)

 

Correction, Aug. 24, 2007: The original version of this article included a photograph of Batman toys manufactured by Mattel. The company did recall some Batman toys, but not because they contained lead paint.

 

Why would a toy manufacturer ever use lead paint? - By Christopher Beam - Slate Magazine

 

:)

[HydrogenBond]

Lead has to be ingested to do any harm. The ethyl lead that was in gasoline, up to about the early 1980's, gave everyone a good dose each day. It was constantly in the air, especially in larger cities. The results didn't quite add up to the fear of today. Based on today's hype and scare of low levels, all those people should be dead now.

 

A sizeable source of household lead, that isn't taboo, is that expensive lead crystal that people display and use for drinking beverages at fancy parties. Instead of parts per million, these items can be 35% lead by weight, so the crystal has that sparkle. I always thought it odd, that there items are never forbidden, like the trace stuff, especially since glasses made of lead crystal come in contact with the mouth. It could be those in charge, of lead decisions, are immune at fancy stategy parties.

 

If one has lead in their older home, and wants to address it, one does not want to sand or scrape it, unless you wet everything first, so the lead dust does not float all over the house. Never use a heat gun. The simpliest way is to use a lead barrier paint, that seals the lead in place. One brand adds a bitter flavor to the paint, so the little crumb crunchers, biting on a window sill, will taste the bitter flavor, and stop their teething.

 

If one needs to use chemical stripping, to salvage antique moldings, some tests have shown that some lead will still remain within the wood. One may wish to still use a lead barrier paint, after, just to play it safe.

 

Older homes with varnish, lacquor or shellac woodwork may not contain lead. The lead was the white in paint. Today they use titanium oxide and other cheaper white pigmented fillers in place of PbO. Clear finishes have no white in them, so they often do not contain any lead.

 

One of the worse things one can do is get the state involved in the testing and analysis of a home. At times, this can open a can of worms. If one choses to do this, you should stock up on K-Y jelly or old fashion vasolene. This will make the entire process less painful, on the wallet.

[freeztar]

A new study was released that shows that even small amounts of lead (well below federal standards) can impair childrens learning/cause brain damage.

Cornell Chronicle: Minute amounts of lead damage children

[LJP07]

It's obviously more dangerous to younger children as it can cause permanent brain damage easily. Due to it's brain damaging effects, it's claimed that it induces serious mental disorders such as schizophrenia.

 

It can equally damaging effects in adults but a clear case of poisoning exists when certain enzymes inhibit the production of certain chemicals which is responsible for the production of heme in blood. This obviously lead(s) { Pardon the pun <<< }, to heme deficient anemia.

 

I could go on for another 10 pages but I think you get the point. I think the fact that the risks exist for people ( even making the yellow lines on the road ), there should be more serious limits on the use of lead, or more stronger limitations.

[Turtle]

The dangerous lead in our homes is not just coming from China on toys, and it's not just in the paint. Here's some information on lead in jewelry, the damage it has done, and remediation efforts. :cup:

 

Major Retailers Agree to Eliminate Lead Risks from Children’s Jewelry

January 27' date=' 2006

... CEH initiated legal action against the jewelry companies in late 2003 and, with the California Attorney General, sued the companies in June 2004. In the past few years, there have been numerous cases of children suffering from serious lead poisoning due to jewelry exposures, prompting health warnings and national jewelry recalls. While seventy-one of the companies named in the lawsuits signed the settlement filed in Alameda County Superior Court today, Wal-Mart, the nation’s largest retailer, and four other companies have not agreed to reformulate the jewelry they sell. ...[/quote']