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Sources of Indoor Air Pollution - Lead (Pb)
National Lead Information Center Hotline -
epa.gov/opptintr/lead/nlic.htm
1-800-LEAD-FYI
[1-800-532-3394]
You can order materials or speak to an information specialist by
contacting The National Lead Information Center (NLIC) at 1-800-424-LEAD
(5323).
Information available 24 hours a day, seven days a week in English and
Spanish. The Hotline provides basic information packet on lead in English and
Spanish. The Packet includes the EPA brochure "Lead
Poisoning and Your Children", three fact sheets, and a list of
State and local contacts for additional information. Callers with specific
questions are referred to the Clearinghouse to speak directly with an
information specialist.
Office of Prevention,
Pesticides, and Toxic Substances (OPPTS) Lead Program -
epa.gov/lead
Office of Air
and Radiation page on Lead -
epa.gov/air/urbanair/lead/
Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Healthy Homes and Lead
Hazard Control
www.hud.gov/offices/lead/
Get your child tested for lead exposure. To find
out where to do this, call your doctor or local health clinic. For more
information on health effects, get a copy of the Centers for Disease Control's (CDC
- www.cdc.gov
), "Preventing Lead Poisoning in Young Children."
EPA's Lead in Drinking Water Program -
epa.gov/safewater/lead/lead1.html
Call EPA's Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4791) for more information.
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Lead has long been recognized as a harmful
environmental pollutant. In late 1991, the Secretary of the Department of Health
and Human Services called lead the "number one environmental threat to the
health of children in the United States." There are many ways in which
humans are exposed to lead: through air, drinking water, food, contaminated
soil, deteriorating paint, and dust. Airborne lead enters the body when an
individual breathes or swallows lead particles or dust once it has settled.
Before it was known how harmful lead could be, it was used in paint, gasoline,
water pipes, and many other products.
Old lead-based paint is the most significant
source of lead exposure in the U.S. today. Harmful exposures to lead can be
created when lead-based paint is improperly removed from surfaces by dry
scraping, sanding, or open-flame burning. High concentrations of airborne lead
particles in homes can also result from lead dust from outdoor sources,
including contaminated soil tracked inside, and use of lead in certain indoor
activities such as soldering and stained-glass making.
Definition
[From "The Condensed Chemical Dictionary, 9th ed., Van Nostrand Reinhold
Company, New York, 1977.] Metallic element of atomic number 82, Group IVA of the
periodic table. Atomic weight 207.2; valences 2, 4; 4 stable isotopes.
The isotopes are the end products of the three series of natural radioactive
elements uranium (206), thorium (208), and actinium (207).
Properties
- Heavy, ductile, soft gray solid. Sp. gr. 11.35; m.p. 327.4oC;
b.p. 1755oC; soluble in dilute nitric acid; insoluble in water but
dissolves slowly in water containing a weak acid; resists corrosion; relatively
impenetrable to radiation. Poor electrical conductor; good sound and
vibration absorber. Non-combustible.
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Sources of Lead
Lead-based paint, contaminated
soil, dust, and drinking water.
Lead Health Effects
Lead affects practically
all systems within the body. Lead at high levels (lead levels at or above 80
micrograms per deciliter of blood) can cause convulsions, coma, and
even death. Lower levels of lead can cause adverse health effects on the central
nervous system, kidney, and blood cells. Blood lead levels as low as 10
micrograms per deciliter
can impair mental and physical development. EPA's Integrated Risk
Information System profile on Lead and Lead Compounds -epa.gov/iris/subst/0277.htm
The effects of lead exposure on fetuses and young
children can be severe. They include delays in physical and mental development,
lower IQ levels, shortened attention spans, and increased behavioral problems.
Fetuses, infants, and children are more vulnerable to lead exposure than adults
since lead is more easily absorbed into growing bodies, and the tissues of small
children are more sensitive to the damaging effects of lead. Children may have
higher exposures since they are more likely to get lead dust on their hands and
then put their fingers or other lead-contaminated objects into their mouths.
Get your child tested for lead exposure. To find
out where to do this, call your doctor or local health clinic. For more
information on health effects, get a copy of the Centers for Disease Control's (CDC
- www.cdc.gov
), "Preventing Lead Poisoning in Young Children."
Steps to Reduce Exposure to Lead
- Keep areas where children play as dust-free
and clean as possible.
- Leave lead-based paint undisturbed if it is in
good condition; do not sand or burn off paint that may contain lead.
- Do not remove lead paint yourself.
- Do not bring lead dust into the home.
- If your work or hobby involves lead, change
clothes and use doormats before entering your home.
- Eat a balanced diet, rich in calcium and iron.
Keep areas where children play as dust-free
and clean as possible.
Mop floors and wipe window ledges and chewable
surfaces such as cribs with a solution of powdered automatic dishwasher
detergent in warm water. (Dishwasher detergents are recommended because of
their high content of phosphate.) Most multi-purpose cleaners will not remove
lead in ordinary dust. Wash toys and stuffed animals regularly. Make sure that
children wash their hands before meals, nap time, and bedtime.
Reduce the risk from lead-based paint.
Most homes built before 1960 contain heavily
leaded paint. Some homes built as recently as 1978 may also contain lead
paint. This paint could be on window frames, walls, the outside of homes, or
other surfaces. Do not burn painted wood since it may contain lead.
Leave lead-based paint undisturbed if it is
in good condition, do not sand or burn off paint that may contain lead.
Lead paint in good condition is usually not a
problem except in places where painted surfaces rub against each other and
create dust (for example, opening a window).
Do not remove lead paint yourself.
Individuals have been poisoned by scraping or
sanding lead paint because these activities generate large amounts of lead
dust. Consult your state health or housing department for suggestions on which
private laboratories or public agencies may be able to help test your home for
lead in paint. Home test kits cannot detect small amounts of lead under some
conditions. Hire a person with special training for correcting lead paint
problems to remove lead-based paint. Occupants, especially children and
pregnant women, should leave the building until all work is finished and
clean-up is done.
For additional information dealing with
lead-based paint abatement contact the Department of Housing and Urban
Development for the following two documents: Comprehensive and Workable Plan
for the Abatement of Lead-Based Paint in Privately Owned Housing: Report to
Congress (December 7, 1990) and Lead-Based Paint: Interim Guidelines for
Hazard Identification and Abatement in Public and Indian Housing (September
1990).
Do not bring lead dust into the home.
If you work in construction, demolition,
painting, with batteries, in a radiator repair shop or lead factory, or your
hobby involves lead, you may unknowingly bring lead into your home on your
hands or clothes. You may also be tracking in lead from soil around your home.
Soil very close to homes may be contaminated from lead paint on the outside of
the building. Soil by roads and highways may be contaminated from years of
exhaust fumes from cars and trucks that used leaded gas. Use door mats to wipe
your feet before entering the home. If you work with lead in your job or a
hobby, change your clothes before you go home and wash these clothes
separately. Encourage your children to play in sand and grassy areas instead
of dirt which sticks to fingers and toys. Try to keep your children from
eating dirt, and make sure they wash their hands when they come inside.
Find
out about lead in drinking water.
Most well and city water does not usually
contain lead. Water usually picks up lead inside the home from household
plumbing that is made with lead materials. The only way to know if there is
lead in drinking water is to have it tested. Contact the local health
department or the water supplier to find out how to get the water tested. Send
for the EPA pamphlet, Lead and Your Drinking Water, for more information about
what you can do if you have lead in your drinking water. Call EPA's Safe
Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4791) for more information.
Eat right.
A child who gets enough iron and calcium will
absorb less lead. Foods rich in iron include eggs, red meats, and beans. Dairy
products are high in calcium. Do not store food or liquid in lead crystal
glassware or imported or old pottery. If you reuse old plastic bags to store
or carry food, keep the printing on the outside of the bag.
From the IAQ Tools for Schools - IAQ Coordinator's Guide
www.epa.gov/iaq/schools/tfs/guidee.html
Description |
Sources |
Standards
or Guidelines |
Lead is a highly toxic metal. |
Sources of lead include drinking water,
food, contaminated soil and dust, and air.
Lead-based paint is a common source of lead dust. |
The Consumer Product Safety Commission
has banned lead in paint. |
Health
Effects |
Control
Measures |
Lead can cause serious damage to the
brain kidneys, nervous system, and red blood cells.
Children are particularly vulnerable. Lead exposure in children can result in delays
in physical development, lower IQ levels, shorten attention spans, and increase
behavioral problems. |
Preventive measures to reduce lead
exposure include: cleaning play areas; mopping floors
and wiping window ledges and other smooth flat
areas with damp cloths frequently; keeping
children away from areas where paint is chipped,
peeling, or chalking; preventing children from chewing
on window sills and other painted areas; and ensuring that toys are cleaned frequently
and hands are washed before meals. |
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Additional Resources
National Lead Information Center Hotline
1-800-LEAD-FYI
[1-800-532-3394]
Information available 24 hours a day, seven days a week in English and
Spanish. The Hotline provides basic information packet on lead in English and
Spanish. The Packet includes the EPA brochure "Lead
Poisoning and Your Children", three fact sheets, and a list of
State and local contacts for additional information. Callers with specific
questions are referred to the Clearinghouse to speak directly with an
information specialist.
To heighten awareness about lead poisoning
prevention, EPA's Office of Prevention,
Pesticides, and Toxic Substances (OPPTS) Lead Program has developed Lead
in Your Home: A Parent's Reference Guide. The Agency believes this is
an essential resource for anyone - from owners to tenants - concerned about
the dangers of lead in their homes and environment. The Guidebook provides
Agency recommendations on how you can reduce your family's risk of lead
exposure and prevent lead poisoning, ranging from simple steps you can do now
to more rigorous procedures that will permanently get rid of lead hazards in
your home. (EPA document # 747-B-98-002, June 1998).
Lead Clearinghouse
1-800-424-LEAD
[1-800-424-5323]
[local - 202-833-1071; fax: 202-659-1192; TDD - 800/526-5456; e-mail: ehc@cais.com]
Available Monday through Friday 8:30am to 5:00pm EST. Inquiries can be mailed
or faxed, or a phone message may be left at any time. Trained information
specialists answer specific questions on lead-related issues in English and
Spanish. It can also provide testing and laboratory information.
Lead Poisoning Prevention Outreach Program. National Safety Council.
Website for program that targets minority and underserved populations; the
program holds outreach meetings and training sessions to give community-based
organizations tools and skills for planning and executing successful lead
poisoning prevention programs in their communities.
http://www.nsc.org/ehc/lead.htm
Office of Healthy Homes and Lead Hazard Control. U.S. Department of
Housing and Urban Development. Website that includes information on grants,
programs, regulations, guidance, and training related to household lead and lead
hazards.
http://www.hud.gov/offices/lead/index.cfm
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