Lead paint warning

Press, 9 March 1982, Page 14

Lead paint warning

Lead-based paints, as used on older hbmes, are a health risk to children and adults, the Health Department has warned. The principal inspector of health (Mr D. Buckland) said that the high level of lead in the paints could pollute the environment where they had been applied. “Manufacturers are now producing lead-free house paints, but the majority of old houses still carry layers of lead-based paint,” he said. Paint chips and dust particles created when the paint was removed was the main danger but the ground around the house could also contain a high proportion of lead from earlier paint which had been stripped off, and from the lead content which had leached off the building. Some children had a strong natural tendency to taste anything and this exposed them more to the risk of lead poisoning, said Mr Buckland.

Lead poisoning occurred when the amount of lead absorbed into the bloodstream was much more than was deposited in the bones

and excreted. The first symptoms were debility, loss of appetitie, stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting, and constipation. In some cases the central nervous system might be affected, causing irritability, headaches, loss of memory, inability to concentrate, and sometimes brain damage. Young children were thought to be more at risk because of their smaller body weight and because they absorbed more of the lead they swallowed. Mr Buckland said that many people did not realise the risk of poisoning they faced when sanding, burning, or chipping off paint. They could also put their neighbours at risk if the wind spread dust or chips. A Health Department toxicologist (Dr K. McLea) said that people should collect all the paint on a groundsheet, prevent paint particles being scattered by the. wind, and dispose of paint scrapings at a rubbish tip or other safe place. Small children should be kept away and overalls and safety equipment should be used when stripping paint. It was important to wash

off all the'dust before eating, drinking, or smoking, said Dr McLea. The department was investigating .methods of removing paint to find the one which caused the least problems. “There are other sources of lead in a child's environment — such as petrol fumes, some crayons and lead-based glazes — but in my opinion, lead paint is the most dangerous,” said Mr Buckland. A kit which shows if a paint contained lead has been developed by the D.S.I.R. The kit is being field tested by the Health Department.