Health & Building

Lead

Why is lead so dangerous?

• Lead is a metal that is both cheap and useful, and is found in many products and in many places in the environment
• If lead enters our bodies, it can cause serious long-term health problems, especially for young children

Risks/Health Hazards

• Lead gets into our bodies when we breathe in air that has lead dust in it, or by consuming food or water that is contaminated with lead
• This lead can build up in our bodies and cause health problems
• Lead can affect anybody, but those at most risk are children under the age of four and pregnant women (including their unborn child)
• For young and unborn children, lead poisoning can cause damage to the developing brain and nervous systems, as well as causing learning and attention problems, hearing loss, stunted growth and behavioural problems
• In adults, low levels of exposure can cause joint and muscle pain, high blood pressure and infertility; higher levels (or lead poisoning) can cause memory loss and nerve problems; and at very high levels, seizures and comas, even death
• Adults, especially those that have jobs that involve lead, and even those that live near lead industries are at great risk; workers in the lead industries may bring lead dust home on their clothes which can also affect the family's health
• Lead is found in many common places, including homes and yards, but we come into contact with lead through other ways such as industrial and car pollution, construction and building materials
• Older buildings can contain lead due to old paints and dust: house paints made before 1970 had much higher levels of lead
• The best way to check for lead poisoning is a blood test, which can be done by your doctor or community nurse and the cost of which is covered under Medicare

What can be done to avoid lead poisoning?

• Eat a balanced diet
• Children or adults without enough iron, zinc or calcium or who have high fat diets absorb more lead
• Food with IRON: eggs, lean red meat and poultry, liver, fish, cereals, beans, peas, lentils, dark green leafy vegetables
• Food with ZINC: wheat bran, yeast products, red meat, oysters and crab
• Food with CALCIUM: milk, cheese and yoghurt, tahini, bean curd, canned fish with edible bones

• Ensure your children are taught to keep clean and healthy
• Lead is more easily absorbed on an empty stomach: Feed children meals and healthy snacks regularly
• Make sure children wash hands and faces before they eat or have a nap
• Keep children's play areas safe. Move play areas away from bare soil near the house and try to keep kids out of the dirt
• Keep children's dummies, toys and pets clean

• Make sure your home or workplace is kept clean and safe
• Reduce dust as much possible
• Don't sweep, but wet-wash floors, stairs and windows with detergent, then rinse with clean water
• Seal up cracks, cavities, ceiling roses and some vents to stop dust accumulating or leaking into rooms
• Professionals should thoroughly clean ceiling cavities with a special vacuum cleaner (fitted with HEPA filters) Grass or put plants over bare areas of dirt
• Check for peeling or deteriorating paint in your home if it was built before 1970
• Block holes into the roof space as a short-term measure

• Protect yourself from lead at both work and home by washing your hands, face and hair, and by changing clothes before you get in the car or come home
• Always wash work clothes separately from all other clothes and rinse the washing machine after use

• If you do find peeling paint:
• Cover small areas of peeling paint with furniture
• It is better to cover old lead paint than remove it unsafely. Do NOT try to remove it yourself
• Get a professional experienced in lead-safe work to remove old paint
• If you do decide to remove it yourself, take full precautions (see below for HOW TO GET ADVICE)

• When renovating a house:
• Take care if the house was built before 1970
• Pregnant women and children should move out during renovations until the clean-up is finished
• Use safety masks and coveralls to prevent exposure if creating lead dust or fumes
• Try not to use blowtorches on lead paint as they create fumes containing lead
• Power sanders produce large amounts of lead dust that contaminates the house - to prevent this, wet the surface that is to be sanded to reduce dust and keep lead paint dust within work areas by sealing off with plastic sheeting
• Clean up with a wet mop and water before pregnant women and children return
• Always dispose of waste in sealed plastic bags in your rubbish disposal

• For smokers
• Do NOT carry or smoke cigarettes in the workplace, as you can breathe in lead dust with the cigarette smoke
• Wash hands before smoking, to stop lead on your hands from entering your mouth

How to get advice
Ask your doctor if you want to know more about blood tests or the effects of lead on health.

For information on lead and its effects on the environment call:
Environment Protection Authority (EPA) Pollution Line on 131 555 or visit the Lead Safe website

For further information and advice about protecting yourself from lead, qualified paint inspection and removal services, and guidelines for safe home renovation, call the Lead Advisory Service NSW on 1800 626 086 or (02) 9716 0132