ECS::Lead - Used for Centuries with Severe Health Side Effects

Lead (Pb)

Lead (symbol Pb; atomic #82)

Lead is found on all parts of the earth, ranking 36th in abundance of all elements in the earth’s crust. Present most often in the form of sulfide, lead has been used throughout history dating back to the Roman period where it was used in the making and joining of water pipes.

Lead Carbonate (PbCO3)2, or white lead, has been used as a white pigment for over 2000 years. Used in paints, ceramics, and many other items where a white pigment is desired.

There has been extensive documentation by the scientific community on the dangers of lead based paint dust and mercury vapors, which emanate from latex paint. Well known are the numerous fatalities caused by toddlers nibbling on paints and cookware. The long-term impact of airborne lead toxicity on children and the off-gassing of mercury vapors in the form of cognitive and developmental defects can be both cumulative and subtle. With enough exposure and dosage, lead paint dust and mercury vapors can be fatal.

When lead dust starts to flake off from lead painted wall surfaces in older homes, it becomes extremely hazardous to the occupants of the home, especially once the fine particles become airborne and are circulated throughout the breathing zone of a home. The main source of airborne lead outdoors is from gasoline additives. Although it has been effectively controlled since the 1980’s through federal regulation, large amounts of this lead is still in the soil around heavily trafficked highways and urban areas directly deposited into the air. A home may become contaminated by these vapors entering through a window or door, or by contaminated soil being tracked inside. The chief source of indoor contamination however, is paint. There has been heavy restriction on the levels of lead in paints since the 1950’s, and many paints now are lead free. However, many older housing structures and furniture may still be coated in lead paint. Some older homes have been repainted in order to cover the lead paint, which like many remedies is short term. The new layers of non-lead paint can flake away or become stripped during the course of restoration or renovation, exposing the lead paint which permeates the air with its lead dust and fumes. Another source of airborne lead is from arts and crafts materials, which are not banned from using lead. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) does require that lead presence be declared on product labels should it be in toxic amounts. Large amounts can be found in many paints, glazes, stained glass, as well as some solder. Hazardous levels of airborne lead may also be released when repairing or cleaning automobile radiators in inadequately ventilated areas, as well as by burning chemically treated or painted wood in fireplaces or wood stoves.

The American Academy of Pediatrics states that an estimated three to four million children in the United States under the age of six have lead in their blood, many with levels that could result in impaired neural and physical development. Unborn fetuses are at an even greater risk to the negative affects of lead poisoning.

The signs and symptoms in children of lead poisoning include: