Lead in the Home

WHAT IS LEAD, AND WHY IS IT HAZARDOUS TO OUR HEALTH?

Lead is a metallic element found worldwide in rocks and soils. The toxic effects of lead have been known since ancient times. Recent research has shown that lead represents a greater hazard at lower levels of concentration than had been thought. Airborne lead enters the body when an individual breathes lead particles or swallows lead dust. Until recently, the most important source of airborne dust was automobile exhaust.

When ingested, lead accumulates in the blood, bones, and soft tissue of the body. High concentrations of lead in the body can cause death or permanent damage to the central nervous system, the brain, the kidneys, and red blood cells. Even low levels of lead may increase high blood pressure in adults.

Infants, children, pregnant women, and fetuses are more vulnerable to lead exposure than others because the lead is more easily absorbed into growing bodies and their tissues are more sensitive to the damaging effects of the lead. Because of a child's smaller body weight, an equal concentration of lead is more damaging to a child than it would be to an adult.

WHAT ARE THE SOURCES OF LEAD IN AND AROUND THE HOME

Lead can be present in drinking water, in paint used to decorate the interior or exterior of a home, in the dust within a home, and in soil around the home.

ARE THERE ACCEPTABLE LEVELS OF LEAD IN DRINKING WATER?

The EPA Office of Drinking Water has proposed regulations under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) that establish a maximum contaminant level for lead in drinking water of five micrograms per liter and a maximum contaminant level goal of zero. [Note: One microgram per liter is equal to one part per billion (ppb).] These levels or goals are set by EPA to control contamination that may have an adverse effect on human health. Nonenforceable health- based goals are intended to protect against known or anticipated adverse health effects with an adequate margin of safety. Both the current maximum contamination level and goal are 50 micrograms per liter. Although the Public Health Service first set these levels in the 1960s before much of the current knowledge about the harmful effects of lead at low levels was gained, the EPA included them unchanged in the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1985. EPA, however, is now revising these standards to reflect its increased concern.

IF MATERIALS CONTAINING LEAD HAVE BEEN BANNED FROM USE IN PUBLIC WATER SUPPLIES, HOW DOES LEAD ENTER DRINKING WATER IN THE HOME?

In 1986, amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act banned any further use of materials containing lead in public water supplies and in residences connected to public water supplies. In 1988, the U. S. Congress banned the use of lead- based solder in plumbing applications within homes and buildings. However, many homes built prior to 1988 contain plumbing systems that use lead- based solder in pipe connections. In such systems, lead can enter drinking water as a corrosion byproduct when plumbing fixtures, pipes, and solder are corroded by drinking water. In these instances, lead levels in water at the kitchen tap can be far higher than those found in water at treatment plants.

The combination of copper pipes connected with lead- based solder is found in many homes and can result in high levels of lead in water. In these circumstances, galvanic corrosion between the two metals releases relatively large amounts of lead into the water. The amount of lead in this type of home water system will be higher when water has been at rest in the pipes for a period of time.

The EPA has determined that newly installed solder is most easily dissolved. As the home ages, mineral deposits build up on the inner walls of water pipes and act as an insulating barrier between the water and the solder. Data compiled by the EPA indicates that during the first five years following home construction, water in the home may have high levels of lead, with the highest levels recorded during the first 24 months.

CAN I TELL BY LOOKING AT PIPES AND PLUMBING FIXTURES WHETHER OR NOT WATER IN THE HOME WILL CONTAIN HARMFUL LEVELS OF LEAD?

No. Visual inspection of pipe joints and solder lines is not an accurate means of determining whether or not decaying solder is a source of lead.

A simple chemical test can determine whether the solder used in a home is lead containing or not. Many jurisdictions make use of this test as a regular procedure in plumbing inspections. And while many newer homes rely on nonmetallic plumbing lines, the majority of faucets and plumbing fixtures used today can contribute some lead to home water supplies. However, these contributions can be eliminated effectively by running the faucet for 15 seconds before drawing drinking water.

HOW CAN I TELL IF A HOME HAS A PROBLEM WITH LEAD IN THE WATER?

The only way to determine lead levels in water is to test a sample of the water. Should you suspect that lead is present in drinking water, or if you wish to have water tested, contact local, county, or state health or environmental departments for information about qualified testing laboratories.

IS LEAD IN WATER A CONCERN IN NEWLY RENOVATED OLDER HOMES?

If the renovation included replacement of aging water pipes with copper or other metal piping, you should check with the renovating contractor to ensure that lead solder was not used in pipe joints. Further, some old homes contain water systems made of pipes that can contain high levels of lead. If the original water lines remain in the house, you should question the renovating contractor regarding his or her knowledge of pipe composition.

HOW PREVALENT IS LEAD- BASED PAINT?

According to the EPA, it is estimated that lead- based paint was applied to approximately two- thirds of the houses built in the U.S. before 1940; one- third of the houses built from 1940 to 1960; and to an indeterminate (but smaller) portion of U.S. houses built since 1960.

HOW CAN I TELL WHETHER THE PAINT IN A HOME CONTAINS LEAD?

The only accurate way to determine if paint in a home contains lead is to remove a sample of the paint and have it tested in a qualified laboratory. Should you suspect that lead is present in paint, or if you wish to have paint tested, contact local, county, or state health or environmental departments for information about qualified testing laboratories.

I HAVE HEARD ABOUT PROBLEMS WHEN CHILDREN EAT CHIPS OF LEAD- BASED PAINT, BUT ARE THERE ANY OTHER WAYS THAT LEAD- BASED PAINT CAN BE HARMFUL?

While the health hazards to children from eating lead- based paint chips have been known for some time, other sources of exposure to lead in household air and dust have been documented only recently. Lead can enter the air within a home when surfaces covered with lead- based paint are scraped, sanded, or heated with an open flame in paint- stripping procedures. Once released into the home atmosphere, lead particles circulate in the air and can be inhaled or ingested through the mouth and nose. Lead particles freed in fine dust or vapors settle into carpet fibers and fabric and can be recirculated in the air by normal household cleaning (such as sweeping and dusting) and through the normal hand- to- mouth behavior of young children, which results in the ingestion of potentially harmful amounts of any lead present in household dust. Fine lead particles penetrate the filter systems of home vacuum cleaners and are recirculated in the exhaust air streams of such appliances. Lead also can enter household air from outdoor sources (such as contaminated soil) and from recreational activities that require the use of solder or materials containing lead.

HOW CAN I GET RID OF LEAD- BASED PAINT SAFELY?

It is best to leave lead- based paint undisturbed if it is in good condition and there is little possibility that it will be eaten by children. Other procedures include covering the paint with wallpaper or some other building material, or completely replacing the painted surface.

Pregnant women and women who plan to become pregnant should not do this work. Professional paint removal is costly, time- consuming, and requires everyone not involved in the procedure to leave the premises during removal and subsequent clean up operations. In addition, if the house was built prior to 1950, there is a good chance that lead from exterior surface paint has accumulated in surrounding soils. Keep the yard well vegetated to minimize the likelihood of children being exposed to contaminated dust. Clean the floors, window- sills, and other surfaces regularly, preferably with wet rags and mops. Practice good hygiene with your children, especially frequent hand washing.

LINKS

* Is Your Drinking Water Safe?

* Lead and Your Drinking Water

* The Inside Story- - A Guide to Indoor Air Quality

Additional information is available from:

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Public Information Center
401 M Street, SW
Washington, DC 20460
(202) 475- 7751

http://www.epa.gov

HOTLINE

For additional information about lead in drinking water, contact EPA's Safe Drinking Water Hotline: (800) 426- 4791