Transcript More About Lead (but this time in Seattle)

Hence gout and stone afflict the human race;
Hence lazy jaundice with her saffron face;
Palsy, with shaking head and tott'ring knees.
And bloated dropsy, the staunch sot's disease;
Consumption, pale, with keen but hollow eye,
And sharpened feature, shew'd that death was
nigh.
The feeble offspring curse their crazy sires,
And, tainted from his birth, the youth expires.
(Description of lead poisoning by an anonymous
Roman hermit, translated by Humelbergius Secundus, 1829)
More About Lead
(in Washington)
Mark Crippen and Cristina Haworth
Winter 2010
Background
An Abbreviated Timeline of Lead
6500 BCE
500-300 BCE
100 BCE
1887
1920’s
1921
1943
1971
1978
• Lead discovered in Turkey
• Roman smelting of lead, use in plumbing and paints
• First description of lead poisoning by ancient Greeks
• Lead poisoning diagnosed in the U.S.
• U.S. government recommends use of lead paint in residences
• GM Engineers put tetraethyl lead into gasoline
• Lead is determined to cause neurological, developmental, and behavioral problems in children
• Lead-Based Paint Poisoning Prevention Act passed
• Lead-based paint is banned in the U.S.
Lead Use

Paint


Gasoline



Predominantly for treating
upset stomach
Lead pipes


Reduces engine knock
Improves engine performance
Ethnic remedies


Increases durability- less
cracking/chipping, less
permeable
Water and sewage
Also found in solder,
industrial processes, toys
Stakeholders

Citizens/residents



Disadvantaged areas esp.
Communities near
smelters/industrial processors
Non-profit organizations

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Alliance for Healthy Homes
National Lead Information
Center
Washington Toxics Coalition
The Trumpeter Swan Society

Government agencies
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
Center for Disease Control
Environmental Protection
Agency
Food and Drug Administration
Department of Public Health
Department of Housing and
Development
Occupational Safety and
Health Administration
WA State Department of
Ecology
Hazard Identification
At-Risk Population

Children (esp. under 6 years of
age)




Poor


Pushed into marginalized
communities
Recent immigrants


Families pushed into older,
cheaper housing
Racial-ethnic minority


Hand-to-mouth behavior
Play area
Rapid breathing rate
May be unable to understand
lead hazard warnings
Occupationally exposed
parents
Case Study: Lead Lawsuit

Client- family of a 5-yearold boy diagnosed with
lead poisoning




Low-income housing area
in Iowa
Housing unit contained
lead-based paint
Child ingested paint chips
Lead poisoning resulted in
neurological damage

Child was severely
developmentally delayed

Unable to talk at age 5
Baron and Budd, P.C. http://baronandbudd.com/legal_services/other_toxic_substances/lead_paint
Case Study: Lead Lawsuit

Suit brought against the
family's landlord




Landlord knew apartment
contained lead-based paint
before the family moved in
Landlord had been previously
cited for violations of leadbased paint regulations
Landlord failed to remove the
paint, failed to warn the
parents of the lead-poisoned
child
Confidential settlement
reached between Baron &
Budd and landlord

Trust fund set up for the child
Case Study: Asarco
Asarco Company: Copper
smelting in Tacoma
Air pollution settled over more
than 1000 square miles in
the Puget Sound basin
Lead, arsenic, and other heavy
metals still contaminate the
soil
1940’s-era photo of the Asarco smokestack seen from
the Port of Tacoma. Photo courtesy of HistoryLink.org
Case Study: Asarco

1999- Department of
Ecology and local health
departments in King, Pierce,
Kitsap, and Thurston
counties conduct study to:

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

Determine the extent of soil
pollution
Test the soils where children
play
Provide education and
outreach to affected
communities
Document this process and
action plans (Tacoma Smelter
Plume Management Plan)
Case Study: Asarco

As of 2006, over 300 child-use facilities within the
contaminated area have been tested in King and Pierce
Counties

Above state standards:




10% percent in mainland King County
30% on Vashon/Maury Island
30% percent in Pierce County
In 2005, the Legislature passed a law (RCW 70.140) to
keep children safe from polluted soil
A Few Interesting Facts



Renal disease and gout
Most lead inhaled in lower
respiratory tract is absorbed
Absorbed lead is split
between

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
Blood
Mineralizing tissues (bones,
teeth)
Soft tissues
Half-life: 28-36 days
U.S. is the last country to
have removed lead from
paint
Adults: decreased libido and
impotence
Risk Assessment Question
Guiding Questions

What is the risk to children of lead poisoning from house
dust, paint chips, and residential soil in Washington State?
Are the current regulatory standards for soil lead
concentrations sufficient?
Longbone radiographs of hands. “Lead lines” in five
year old male with radiological growth retardation and
blood lead level of 37.7μg/dL.
(Photo courtesy of Dr. Celsa López, Clinical Epidemiologic
Research Unit, IMSS, Torreón, México)
Current Regulations

EPA: Blood lead action level: 10 µg/dL

EPA: Air lead level: 0.15 µg/m³

WA DoE- Residential soil: 250 ppm
EPA- Parks/playground soil: 400 ppm
EPA- Non-play area soil: 1200 ppm


Exposure Assessment
Routes of Exposure
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Inhalation
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Airborne house dust
Airborne residential soil
Occupational exposure
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Ingestion
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Lead paint chips
Hand-to-mouth behavior

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
Paint on toys (ended 1920’s)
House dust/residential soil
on hands
Contaminated food or
water


Lead pipes, solder
Lead-glazed pottery
Soil

Washington Toxics Coalition:
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

Average soil lead level for older buildings in Seattle: 1000-6000
ppm
These levels will increase with time as lead is removed from
the buildings by weathering and maintenance
Exterior lead is tracked into buildings and contributes to
interior lead dust levels
Paint History

Three facts:




Master painters demanded lead-based paints because it was
washable and durable
Federal and state governments recommended and often
specified its use in the early 1900’s
No U.S. public health official or government advocated
restricting the use of lead in house paint until 1940’s
Washington Toxics Coalition:

1.5 million homes built before 1978 ban on lead-based paint


80% estimated to contain lead-based paint
The average lead level of interior carpet was


10,700 µg/m² when outside shoes were worn inside
35,100 µg/m² in a remodeled home
Paint Cleanup

EPA-recommended processes for
cleanup of lead-contaminated
construction sites:
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Inform residents
Create safe work environment:
signage and personal protective
equipment
Remove furniture
Cover floor and any areas that are
not to be worked on
Close and seal vents, turn of HVAC
Minimize dust
Clean construction site daily
Ensure workers are clean before
leaving construction site
Thoroughly vacuum and dust the
site, use general-purpose cleaner
over entire site
Equation Set Up
Uncertainty Factors
Interspecies
variability
I = C· CR· EFD
BW· AT
I = C· CR· EFD = C· CR
BW· AT
BW
C = I· BW
CR
Human variability
10 5
10
Human to child
10 5
Database
uncertainty
10 5
Subchronic to
chronic

10
Uncertainty factor: 125
Risk Characteristics
Calculation
47/125 =
I = .38 mg/kg/day


CR = 0.200 kg/day
BW = 18.5 kg
C= ?

EPA: 200mg/day
NOAEL: 47mg/kg/day
 EPA Soil Screening Level Case
Study
No reference dose
 Unsafe at any level
C = I· BW = .38 mg • 18.5 kg •
day
CR
kg· day
0.200 kg
C = 35 mg lead = 35 ppm
kg
Conclusions Realities
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
Conclusion: 35 ppm is the maximum level for soil lead
concentrations in order to prevent most health problems in
children.
The reality is
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Lead is a persistent contaminant which is highly unregulated and can
cause irreversible damage.
Current regulations are insufficient to protect children, adults, and
the environment.
35 ppm is an unrealistic goal, given the cost and extent of pollution.
Recommendations:


Increase random soil sampling around homes and communities,
especially in urban areas.
Set the threshold for action at 150 ppm in residential soil. This is a
more reasonable number, which takes cost, political opposition, and
human health into consideration.
Risk Management and
Communication
CDC’s National Surveillance Data:
U.S. & Washington State Statistics
Elevated Blood Lead Levels
in Washington
from 1997-2006
Elevated Blood Lead Levels
in the U.S.
from 1997-2006
30
80,000
70,000
25
60,000
20
50,000
15-19 µg/dL
40,000
10-14 µg/dL
10-14 µg/dL
15-19 µg/dL
15
20-24 µg/dL
20-24 µg/dL
25-44 µg/dL
25-44 µg/dL
30,000
45-69 µg/dL
10
45-69 µg/dL
>=70 µg/dL
>=70 µg/dL
20,000
10,000
0
1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008
5
0
1996
-5
1998
2000
2002
2004
2006
2008
Washington’s Progress

Washington State childhood blood lead registry



Children age 0 until their 16th birthday
Includes data as of October 20, 2008
Data don’t necessarily represent all children in the
state

A very small percent of children in Washington have
blood lead tests
Testing Methods
Home lead water test kit.
Home lead soil test kit.
Contractor Certification

“Beginning April 2010 contractors performing work that
disturbs lead-based paint in homes, child care facilities,
and schools built before 1978 must:

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Be EPA certified, and
Follow specific work practices to prevent lead contamination. ”

“Lead-Safe Practices”



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Contain the work area
Minimize dust
Clean up thoroughly
Wisconsin, Iowa, and North Carolina enforce a Lead
Renovation, Repair, and Painting program

Allows greater local regulation
Lead in the Media

“Strong link between crime, lead exposure in children”

“…even relatively low levels of lead permanently damage the
brain and are linked to higher numbers of arrests, particularly
for violent crime.”

“…55 percent of the subjects …had been arrested, and that
the average was five arrests between the ages of 18 and 24.”

“For those with average lead level in the study, their brains
were about 1.2 percent smaller. The most affected regions of
the brain were those regulating decision making, impulse
control and attention…”
Recommendations for Communication



Create multi-lingual pamphlets to cater to the needs of
minorities and recent immigrants
Spread awareness at community meetings, especially in
poorer or otherwise disadvantaged areas.
Write legislators, senators, and representatives to push
lead cleanup to the forefront of environmental policy.
Precautionary Assessment
Community/Social
parameter
Score
Comment
Goal
3/3
Does not aid movement
toward healthy bodies,
ecosystems
Need
3/3
An unnecessary additive to
a variety of processes and
products
Future generations
3/3
High impact on future
generations
Democratic, communitybased process
3/3
Community not consulted
Alternatives
3/3
Alternatives not
considered
Total
15/15
Highly unsupportive to
health and community
Precautionary Assessment
Exposure parameters
Score
Comment
Exposure
3/3
Many disadvantaged areas
have high exposure rates
Multiple exposures
3/3
If a child is exposed to lead
once, they are often
exposed many times
Children exposed
5/5
Children are the at-risk
group for exposure
Consumer products
2/3
Lead is found in consumer
products, including toys and
computers
Occupational exposure
2/3
Lead is found in industrial
processes
Food exposure
2/3
Lead found in water supply
Total
17/20
Significant exposure risk
Precautionary Assessment
Hazard/Toxicity
parameters
Score
Comment
Hazard
10/10
Neurotoxin, developmental,
behavioral problems
Individual sensitivity
3/3
Children are sensitive
Ecological hazard
3/3
Many species susceptible to
lead poisoning
Volume
5/5
Lead consumption is
critically high
Persistent
3/3
Highly persistent
Bioaccumulates
3/3
Accumulates in bones,
blood
Uncertainty
1/3
Very certain
Total
28/30
Very hazardous. Chemical
of serious concern
Comparison
S. Gilbert’s Precautionary
Assessment
Community/Social
12/15
Exposure
16/20
Hazard/Toxicity
27/30
Our Precautionary Assessment
Community/Social
15/15
Exposure
17/20
Hazard/Toxicity
28/30
References

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
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Washington State Department of Ecology

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www.leadlawsuits.com
Center for Disease Control and Prevention


www.hud.gov
Understanding Lead Paint Litigation


www.ecy.gov
U.S. Office of Housing and Development


www.epa.gov/lead
www.cdc.gov/lead
Toxipedia

www.toxipedia.org