Advice about Lead

Parent Q&A

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  • mold + lead testing and contractor rec

    (3 replies)

    Hi all!

    We bought a house and are looking for a rec on:

    1) a company for mold and lead testing

    2) design build contractors! 

    For lead testing we used Norbay Consulting in San Rafael - Bob Gerhold. He was great. 

    When we were getting our house inspected for mold, we worked with Cheryl Pearce, who's a certified microbiologist and mold inspector. Her company is called "Mold Busters". She was great and answered all of our questions/concerns. She can be reached via phone (415) 731-6653 or email: cpearce [at] moldbusters.net

    We have used Restcon Environmental for mold testing several times over the years. Extremely knowledgeable, helpful, and professional. Highly recommended! Their number is (916) 736-1100

  • Do you know first hand of a place, local or by mail, to get garden soil samples tested for heavy metals?  (I'm not seeking a place to test nutrients and ph.)

    Thanks!

    It might sound strange, but the lab at UMass Amherst will help you test your soil for a fraction of the cost of many CA labs: https://ag.umass.edu/services/soil-plant-nutrient-testing-laboratory

    Call the Alameda County Healthy Homes program (the number used to be !-800-B-Lead-Safe, don't know if it is anymore) and ask for their recommendations on getting comprehensive soil testing done. Good luck!

  • Where to get things tested for lead?

    (4 replies)

    I inherited some very nice dishes and glasses that might contain lead and are valuable enough that I’d like to get them professionally checked just to make sure. As we have a child I don’t want to use them at all if they leach lead. Can you please recommend a place (government or private) that can do this test for me? Thank you. 

    You can buy a kit at the hardware store and do it yourself -- that's what I did (and alas, some beloved old plates and baking dishes are only for decoration now!).  I do drink from my great-grandmother's nineteenth-century lead crystal wineglasses, but not every day, and definitely not for children.  The EPA says this is safe enough since the lead doesn't start to leach out in the time it takes to drink a glass of wine, and I guess now that I'm past my child-bearing years I'm allowing myself to believe that. 

    Is there a reason you don’t want to just use the 3M kits? They’re recognized by the EPA. Easy to use, too, and available at the hardware store. 

    Our child's pediatrician recommended the Center for Environmental Health (https://www.ceh.org) - their offices are in Downtown Oakland. About 4 years ago, I called, made an appointment and tested a few hand-me down toys (for free, but I gave the organization a donation for all the great work they're doing).  The objects have to fit in the machine, but I can't recall what the exact size is.  We found high lead levels in two toys - one metal toy (the metal itself had lead; which had previously been covered with paint, but was now chipping) and in the faux leather of a stuffed animal.

    OP here: Thanks for the replies recommending home kits like the 3M one. I read that since lead on plates and cups are embedded into the material, surface testers like the home kits won’t be accurate. They are mainly useful for lead on surface paint, for example, to test if your windowsills have lead in the paint etc. So I’d still like recommendations for a facility that has a machine like an RFID or has experience testing crystal and ceramics. Thanks!

  • We rent an old house in Berkeley.

    Recently the owner has started to have his handymen do work which is disturbing the paint, the underlying layers being lead based. They're scraping the exterior in preparation of painting and we became concerned when we realized the workers were just letting the paint chips fall on the ground outside and doing minimal clean up. We hired a professional to come out and take samples out to an independent lab for analysis. Samples included fallen paint chips that weren't cleaned up, flaking paint that came off when the sampler picked at it, from the soil in the front and back yards, and around the exterior stairways. Unsurprisingly, all were over the EPA limits by 2-3x depending on location and type. We're concerned for our child (3 y.o) as he still touches and puts everything into his mouth.

    Fellow parents of young toddlers living in lead-ful environments, how do you deal?? My partner now sees lead everywhere in the house and around the property (real or not) and is convinced that we need to move for everyone's safety (especially since the owner has been non-responsive to our concerns). There's paint dust and chips all around. And word is they will be replacing windows in the near future an disturbing more lead paint around the openings, and then electrical (it's knob and tubes), which means more cutting and sawing into the walls. I like our neighbors and do not want to move as it would be a huge disruption to our hectic lives, but my partner dreads having to deal with the owners workers every time they are over working on the property, and it's affecting our home life. Looking for advice, stories, etc...

    I’d contact the Berkeley Rent Authority. They are really great about helping tenants protect their rights. Lead is not something to mess around with around toddlers especially.

    I have always lived in older homes. All homes built before 1978 have lead paint. I have raised three children, and they all survived and grew up to be healthy young adults.

    Contractors who deal with lead paint are required to be certified and follow certain practices when working and cleaning up, to minimize the release of lead dust or chips. Replacing windows would be a good thing since much of the lead exposure comes from older window sills and jambs. Every time these windows are opened, there is friction, and over time lead dust can rub off. 

    I recommend that you move to a newer home, since you have such big concerns. There is no way to rid an old house of lead completely, and so you likely will never be comfortable living there. Even if lead is contained, eventually it will start chipping again. I've been on the other side of this issue as a landlord. It's a burden for property owners, too, since lead containment/abatement is so costly. The paint manufacturers have a lot to answer for, since they marketed and sold lead paint for many years, knowing it was dangerous, but that is a whole other issue. Good luck!

    By law, any house that may have lead paint must use lead-safe procedures for housepainting and window replacement. This is a highly regulated area, and there are specific safeguards that must be taken. Your landlord is breaking the law. At this point, it might be necessary to vacate the premises (since it is now toxic); one route may be to take your landlord to small claims court to cover the moving expense (I am not a lawyer so don't know what to specifically recommend; just brainstorming). So sorry you are dealing with this unlegal and unsafe situation. Details on lead-safe renovation here:

    https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/documents/steps.pdf

    I don't understand why you haven't confronted the landlord about this! Did the landlord disclose the lead paint before renting to you? If not, you can threaten to sue. The workers are required to have completed training on how to deal with lead paint. This may be helpful:

    http://www.achhd.org/leadpoisoning/regs.htm#rr

    Clearly several of these regulations are being ignored. You must stand up for yourselves with the landlord rather than fretting over how to handle the toxic dust or trying to talk to the contractors. This is absolutely revolting behavior on your landlord's part. 

    Contact the California Department of Health Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program: https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CCDPHP/DEODC/CLPPB/Pages/CLPPBhome.aspx. They should be able to help you.

    I owned a fourplex in Berkeley where I lived and rented out three apartments for years. Speaking from my experience as both a landlord and a parent, I would not take this lightly. What your landlord is doing is dangerous and illegal.  It is assumed that any older houses in this area are contaminated with lead paint.  He needs to be using a painter with certified lead abatement skills. (There is a whole state process to get such a certification.). If I were you I would call the City offices or the Rent Board immediately. I honestly would not hesitate - you are totally in the right here, plus your son is at risk. 

  • Testing for lead in china

    (1 reply)

              I was given a set of beautiful English Bone China dishes that the original owner bought in the mid 70s.I have heard that some older China has lead in it.Are some lead testing kits best for this or is there somewhere I can take the dishes to be tested.?

    Thanks

    You can get lead testing kits at any hardware store.  They are not expensive, and are easy to use.

Archived Q&A and Reviews


See also: Recommendations for lead inspection and removal


How dangerous is lead?

May 1998

Does anyone have any experience or information about lead poisoning? We just did a lead test in the house we rent, and found lead in both the interior and exterior paint (which is peeling and chipping). We read the pamphlets about lead provided by the EPA, which give advice on cleaning and dusting weekly to prevent the buildup of lead dust, etc. What we can't seem to find out is how dangerous lead actually is, and what are the chances of it hurting our child. If lead poisoning is such a great danger, it seems like a rather trite solution, just to paint over it and dust a lot. We don't want to move if we don't have to, but we need to know just how dangerous this is. Judith


The University does lead testing for children living in family housing or in UC operated childcare every fall. You can get alot of information down at the Tang Center regarding lead poisoning and various preventative measures. I highly encourage you to stop by there and pick up the info. Kathleen


Our 110 year old house in Alameda was treated for lead-based paint almost 2 years ago, through the auspices of the Alameda County Lead Poisoning Prevention Program. They tested the paint everywhere, tested the yard in places, tested the house dust, and concluded that painting over the woodwork inside and out would take care of most of it. The painted floor also had to be covered, and we opted for new wood over the old.

They arranged an *interest-free* loan that covered about 3/4 of the job (with an approved contractor), again county-subsidized. They scheduled post-abatement inspection and testing, and testing of our child (thankfully no lead!). They also provided materials that may be more explanatory than what the EPA provided.

Call them (Alameda County listings). Lead is nasty and permanent in its effects on the nervous system, but proper abatement (including re-sodding lawns after abatement) can do the job fairly affordably in most cases not involving a badly decrepit house. Situations differ, your decision may be different than ours (to abate and stay). But in any case, seek information and take action. Lead is an issue that can no longer be 'swept under the rug' given all the older housing out there, and the tight housing market. Nils


Ask your doctor to perform a blood lead level test. They jsut take some blood and check it out. Then you have a sense of how much lead has already been taken it. If it is low, don;t worry. Also, it provides a baseline and you can re-test in a year. My husband is a painter and deals with old paint all the time, so he is checked annually and since he brings dust and so on in our house, our son is tested annually. No one has elevated levels in our house and we have peeling and chipping paint too. Also, check your water and get a filter system to filter out lead (like Britta or PUR) and use if for everything (juice, coffee, boiling pasta, etc) Laura Beth


Regarding lead poisoning, the Alameda County Lead Poisoning Prevention Program has an information line at 567-8280. They're located down on Oakland's Embarcadero and have very extensive information & workshops, and are often present at neighborhood fairs. They also have programs allowing for certain financial incentives to de-lead your home, although these might have changed since I was there in '92. Jean


Call the Alameda County Lead Poisoning Prevention Program at 567-8280. They have excellent materials and you can request specific info on lead in the house, soil, and water. They also provide a list of local labs and home test kit suppliers. I used their information and a lab they recommended to test the soil in my backyard and found that paint peeling into the soil had raised lead to a level that would make it unwise to plant root vegetables such as carrots, although above-ground types are apparently ok. We also live in a rental with peeling paint. We painted over the worst spots inside. The landlord agreed to repaint the badly peeling exterior trim, and although the painter took many months to get around to finishing the job, he was very careful to catch the chips in a box as he scraped. The important thing is not to sand, which sends the lead dust into the air. I've read EPA guidelines that also say not to scrape, but how can you get the new paint to stick without scraping off the really loose stuff? You should also get a blood lead test done for your child. Susan


I used to have a friend who worked for the lead abatement program for Alameda County and also a friend with OSHA ... it is my understanding from these sources (as well as my kids' doctor) that lead poisoning is VERY VERY serious; can lead to mental retardation, anemia, and all kinds of other things. You should have your CHILD tested as well as the apartment, right away ... there are blood tests ... ask the pediatrician. I have this dim sense that someone once told me that if the kid DOES have lead in the blood there are corrective measures which can be taken, but I have no real detail ... ask your doctor.

I looked into this at one point when I was living in an old apartment. The County has funds available to help landlords who are willing to truly and properly clean up the lead hazards and you might encourage your landlord to do this. In some ways the exterior lead is even more dangerous than the interior. The interior lead paint ... to sand it down and cleared away PROPERLY is very hard to do ... your family should not be living there at the time, during the rehab work, the lead dust needs to be contained, which requires certain OSHA-approved practices, and then everything needs to be repainted. This needs to be done by people who are trained AND CERTIFIED in lead-abatement rehab work. DON'T try to do this yourself, you risk stirring up more lead particles and getting them into the environment. Nor can any old house painter do this. Certified, trained people need to do lead work.

Presuming the inside could be gotten into good shape ... if the OUTSIDE of the building is flaking lead-contaminated paint into the ground, then everytime someone walks across the yard and into the house or the car lead can get tracked into the house or into the car. It is a real problem. Mary Carol



On lead poisoning; It is very serious. Check out these web sites: http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/programs/lead/guide/1997/docs/factlead.htm Facts on... Lead Background on Lead Lead provides no known biological benefit to humans. Lead can produce adverse effects on virtually every system in the body; it can damage the kidneys, the nervous system, the reproductive system, and cause high blood pressure. It is especially harmful to the developing brains of fetuses and young children. There may be no lower threshold for some of the adverse effects of lead in children. In addition, the harm that lead causes to children increases as their blood lead levels increase. Blood lead levels as low as 10 micrograms/deciliter (ug/dL) are associated with harmful effects on children's learning and behavior. We should try to prevent the occurrence of blood lead levels of 10 ug/dL and above in children. Very high blood lead levels cause devastating health consequences including seizures, coma, and death. Children with venous blood lead levels of 20 ug/dL or above or with venous BLLs in the range of 15-19 ugdL over a period of at least 3 months need a doctor's care. Elevated BLLs in children are a major preventable health problem that affects children's mental and physical health. The higher a child's BLL and the longer it persists, the greater the chance that the child will be affected. Elevated blood lead levels can result in: learning disabilities. behavioral problems. mental retardation. at extremely high levels (70 ug/dL or higher), seizures, coma, and even death. Remaining sources of lead exposure Despite progress, major exposure sources still exist: Lead-based paint in older homes that is deteriorating, creating dust and paint chips easily ingested by young children. Lead-based paint in homes that is disturbed during renovation or remodeling. Lead-based paint in homes that is exposed, on a surface easily chewed by a young child (such as a window sill). Lead-contaminated soil. Other potential sources of lead exposure in some areas are: Operating or abandoned industrial sites and smelters. Although lead pollution has been greatly reduced, some soil and dust contamination can still result. Occupations and hobbies. Children can be exposed to lead-contaminated dust on parents' clothes. Use of lead-containing ceramics for cooking, eating or drinking. Use of traditional home remedies or cosmetics that contain lead. ____________________________________________ www.magnet.state.ma.us/dph/miscon.htm www.msnbc.com/news/141405.asp And children are at special risk. Not only do they often swallow lead dust, but also their bodies are smaller and their brains still developing. Even very low levels of lead poisoning in early childhood can cause learning disabilities, behavioral problems and mental retardation, according to the CDC. Dr. John F. Rosen, head of the lead program at Montefiore Hospital in the Bronx, says he has begun seeing children who were lead poisoned as the result of living near the demolition of old buildings containing lead paint. And the problem is not limited to urban areas. The library in rural Bedford, N.Y., had to be closed and decontaminated after lead paint being sandblasted off the house next door blew in through open windows. The improper removal of lead paint in the home is a major concern, says Don Ryan, executive director of the Alliance to End Childhood Lead Poisoning. Sanding or burning old lead paint off woodwork can be extremely dangerous for children. Burning lead paint off with a torch is especially dangerous, releasing lead fumes that can enter the lungs. Sanding creates clouds of lead-paint dust that will contaminate the entire home. www.thriveonline.com/health/Library/CAD/abstract18416.html Lead poisoning alert! Is your child at risk? Parents 1993 May;68(5):66-68,70 MacDonald A 931683 Lead is the country's number one environmental threat to children because: 57 million homes (built before 1980) still have lead-based paint in them; dirt can contain significant amounts of lead; lead is found in the glaze on some ceramic dishware; and lead is found in some drinking water. Lead is a neurotoxin, leading to impaired physical functioning and intellectual development. Recent research has shown that permanent damage is done by even low levels of lead poisoning (as low as 10 mcg/dl blood). Lead poisoning is asymptomatic and cumulative, so that lead can build up to toxic levels in blood, tissues, and bone with repeated exposures. Although average blood levels of lead have decreased since lead was banned from gasoline, much lead was deposited and still remains in the topsoil from this source. Toddlers and babies are at the highest risk for lead poisoning from regularly drinking formula made with lead-contaminated water and from playing on the floor and ground. Simple precautions to reduce the risk of toxic lead poisoning include: keeping children and pregnant women away from house renovations; limiting the amount of dirt tracked into the home; never using water from the hot tap for human ingestion; not storing acidic foods in ceramic or lead crystal containers; feeding children foods low in fat and high in calcium and iron to reduce lead absorption; washing children's hands before meals; washing all toys and pacifiers that go into mouths; and moving cribs and playpens away from mantels, windowsills, and doors. The Centers for Disease Control recommend testing all children six years old and under, and screening for lead poisoning at six months of age if lead contamination is suspected in the home. The Environmental Protection Agency recommends testing samples of house tap water for lead for all families with young children. Suggestions are also given for ways to reduce risks if your house has lead-based paint, and resources are provided for lead poisoning prevention. The site at the Center for disease control returned 236 documents on Lead Poisoning. Roger

 


Lead is very dangerous. I think I read an article recently that indicated that lower levels than were thought to cause problems they found can be very hazardous, especially to very young children. Lead can cause brain damage. If there is chipped or peeling paint or paint dust in your house, and your child is young enough to be picking stuff off the floor and sticking it in his or her mouth, you probably want to do something about it. You should have the child checked for lead levels in the blood. It is a simple blood test and they don't take very much blood from the child to do it. I had a lot of construction done on my house when my daughter was little and had her tested. I seem to recall that they only did a little prick of her finger and squeezed out some blood. Not too traumatic.

 

You can check with the public health department in your county. I know that Alameda county has a low cost lead abatement program. Some friends had all the woodwork in their house repainted and their garage repainted and other areas of the house sanded and refinished with either a loan that only had to be repaid if they sold their house or was no interest or very low interest. I suggest you check with the county. They will be able to give you lots more information so you can make an informed decision.

FYI, because of the levels of lead in our environment, Twinkies may actually be good for you. They are preserved with EDTA, which is used to precipitate lead out of the blood for persons with very high lead exposure. Basically EDTA lets you pee away the lead. Anyway, take the problem seriously. Debbie