Health Matters: Lead in paint still lingers as household danger

By now you may have heard about the drinking water crisis in Flint, Michigan. After Flint changed its water source from treated Detroit Water and Sewerage Department water to the Flint River, the corrosive river water caused lead from aging pipes to leach into the water supply.

One of the reasons that it’s received so much media attention is that no amount of lead exposure is considered safe. Lead is toxic to the brain and nervous system and can cause permanent damage to those exposed to it.

It is especially dangerous to children and pregnant women. Lead can pass from a mother to her unborn child and increase the risk of miscarriage, premature birth, birth defects, and learning and behavior problems. In children, even low levels of lead exposure can cause permanent damage to the brain and nervous system, which can lead to lower IQ, hearing problems and other health problems.

Lead is a naturally occurring element found in small amounts in the Earth’s crust. Much of our exposure comes from past use of lead-based paint, leaded gasoline, and industrial mining, smelting and refining.

The most common sources of lead exposure in our state are lead-based paint and lead-contaminated dust. Lead-based paint was banned in 1978, but if your home was built before then, you may have lead-based paint in your home.

Home repairs, such as sanding and scraping paint, can create dangerous lead dust. Normal wear and tear can cause paint to flake or peel and add lead to household dust. Lead also gets into dust from soil and dirt being tracked into the home on shoes and pets.

Some locations have higher amounts of lead in the soil due to past industrial and transportation pollution.

Children are most at risk for lead poisoning because their growing bodies absorb more than adult bodies do. Because children often put their hands, toys, or other objects in their mouths, and spend a lot of time on or near the floor where dust settles, they are at a greater risk of being exposed.

There may be no obvious signs or symptoms of lead exposure. A blood test is the only way to find out if someone has lead poisoning. According to the Washington State Department of Health, less than 4 percent of children younger than age 6 in Washington have had a lead blood test. Screening rates in Thurston County are even lower, at less than 2 percent.

If you are worried about lead exposure in your children, talk to your health care provider.

You can greatly reduce the risk of lead poisoning by following these tips:

▪ If your home was built before 1978, it likely has lead-based paint. It may be under layers of newer paint.

If the top layer is in good condition, the older layers are less likely to flake off and get into your home. Cracked, chipped, or peeling paint should be painted over as soon as possible. Pay special attention to areas that get a lot of wear and tear or that children may chew on, such as window sills, doors and frames, stairs, railings, banisters and porches.

▪ If you’re remodeling, repairing or painting an old home, do so safely. Use a contractor who participates in the Lead-Based Paint Programs through the Washington State Department of Commerce.

Pregnant women and children should not be in the house during cleaning, painting or remodeling of a room with lead-based paint.

▪ Wipe and clean hard surfaces with a water-dampened cloth or sponge frequently — weekly is recommended.

▪ Vacuum your home weekly. If you have a bagless vacuum, empty the container outside so the dust does not get back into your home.

▪ Wash children’s hands, bottles, pacifiers, stuffed animals and toys often to remove dust.

▪ Because there may be lead in your plumbing (solder, pipes and brass fixtures), it’s a good idea to use cold water to prepare food and drinks. Run or flush water that has been standing in pipes overnight before drinking or cooking with it.

▪ Avoid bringing soil that may contain lead into your home by removing shoes at the door and washing hands after working or playing outdoors. Keep pets well-groomed to reduce the amount of dirt they bring into the home.

▪ Avoid using imported pottery, dishware or ceramics for food and drinks if you don’t know whether it contains lead.

More information is available about the risks of lead exposure and preventing lead poisoning from the Washington State Department of Health and the EPA websites.

This story was originally published April 2, 2016 at 8:28 AM with the headline "Health Matters: Lead in paint still lingers as household danger."