Transcript Riccio Alecia Lead Based Paints in Your Home

Lead-Based Paint in Your Home:
What the Risks Are and What is Being Done About it
About Lead-Based Paint
Why is lead used in paint?
•Lead gives the paint a lusty
color (9).
•Leaded paint dries quickly
(4).
The Risks for Your Family
Risks Around the World
Having lead-based paint in your home puts your entire family at risk for
lead poisoning. Children are the most susceptible to lead poisoning.
Furthermore, household pets, especially dogs, can also feel the negative
effects of lead exposure. Here are some of the medical risks of living in a
lead-contaminated home (1).
•It is resistant to corrosion (4).
•The most common way of getting lead poisoning for children is by
ingestion of paint chips called pica. Pica has a sweet flavor, enticing
children to eat the paint chips repeatedly (1).
•White lead, or cerruse, is used
in white paints.
•Children may also get lead poisoning by playing in lead-contaminated soil
outside your home (1).
•Galena, or lead sulfide, is
used to make black paints.
•Lead gets into the blood stream and can damage the brain, kidneys,
nerves, and blood (1).
•Minium, another form of lead,
is used in red pigments.
•Lead poisoning can cause behavioral disorders, learning problems, and
seizures (1).
•Yellow chromate lead makes
a very brilliant yellow paint.
•Symptoms include headaches, stomachaches, nausea, tiredness, and
irritability (1).
•Some children show no signs of lead poisoning (1).
The EPA sponsors a lead-based paint
abatement and activities regulation.
Abatement refers to permanent elimination
of lead-based paint hazards. This includes
preparation, cleanup, and clearance testing
of authorized programs (5).
HUD
The HUD’s Lead-Based Paint Hazard Control
Grant Program works to identify and control
lead-based paint in homes. Annually, HUD
spends approximately $90 million on grants to
remove lead from eligible homes. This is the
largest grant program in the country for lead
paint removal (6).
CPSC
In the fall of 1977,
the U.S. Consumer
Product Safety
Commission finalized
a ban on leaded paint.
The ban stipulates
that only .06% lead
can be present in
consumer paints.
Previously, the
maximum legal level
was .5%. The action
was taken in order to
reduce lead poisoning
in children, who may
ingest paint chips or
peelings (2).
A recent study shows that half of the
newly manufactured paints in China
contained at least 600ppm lead, whereas
25% exceeded 5,000ppm. The highest
sample contained 153,000ppm lead,
accounting for about 15% of the total paint
weight (8).
INDIA
Researchers recently tested paint that
was intended for residential use in India.
They found that 84% of oil-based paints
exceeded the legal level of .06% (4).
NIGERIA
Paint samples from building in four
major Nigerian cities were tested for lead
levels. The results showed that high lead
levels are extremely present in the paint (9).
What You Can Do To Stay Healthy
What the Government Is Doing
EPA
CHINA
FDA
The Lead-Based
Paint Poisoning
Prevention Act
prohibited the use of
lead-based paint on
cooking, drinking,
and eating utensils
made after January
13, 1971.
Furthermore, it
forbade the use of
leaded paint on toys
and furniture, and
on houses
constructed or
rehabilitated by the
government (7).
If there is lead-based paint in your home, there
are certain precautions that can be taken to lessen
your exposure to lead.
•Wipe down flat surfaces with a damp paper towel (1).
Pay special attention to surfaces such as window
sills, where paint can easily be ground to dust (1).
Mop smooth floors at least once every week (1).
Vacuum carpets and upholstery to control dust (3).
Avoid creating lead dust when remodeling or
maintaining your home (10).
Frequently wash your child’s hands and toys (1).
Carefully dispose of loose paint chips (1).
Remove or cover the painted item (10).
Have your home and your family tested for lead
exposure (10).
Alecia Riccio
Science and Society