| Lead poisoning is not something
that we hear much about today, but it is still an ongoing problem.
Lead poisoning can lead to a number of medical
problems, including neurological problems, anemia, and kidney
disease. In severe cases, symptoms include vomiting, seizures
and coma. In the most severe cases, death can occur. In less
severe cases, it can lead to lower IQ’s, learning disabilities,
and mental retardation.
Children are the most susceptible to lead poisoning
because their bodies will absorb lead at a much higher rate.
They will absorb about 40-50 percent of the lead that enters
their bodies, whereas adults will absorb only about 10 percent.
Many cities have been fighting the problem of
lead in their water supply for years, and have still not completely
solved the problem. Washington D.C. is just one example.
Lead gets into the water when it comes into
contact with lead pipes, some brass fittings, or lead-based
solder in joints. As water runs through the pipes, lead will
leach out into the water. Certain factors such as temperature,
pH, and the amount of time water stands in the pipes effect
the amount of lead that makes it into the water.
In an effort to reduce the amount of lead that
can leach into drinking water, some cities use a technique called
chemical addition. This is a chemical that coats the pipe with
a thin film that acts as a barrier between the lead and water.
Some cities have altered the types of chemicals
they use to disinfect their water, which has caused more potential
for lead to be absorbed into the water . Instead of chloridation,
they switched to chloramination, which includes the use of ammonia.
This reduces the pH of the water, making it more corrosive and
capable of dissolving the lead into the water.
Since lead in water is tasteless, odorless and
colorless, the only way to know if there is lead present in
the water is to have it checked by a testing laboratory.
Lead can also be found in the paint in older
buildings. Prior to World War II, lead carbonate was used as
the white pigment that was in the base formula for all colors
of paint. In fact, the lead would account for about 40 percent
of the weight of the paint.
The amount of lead in paint was reduced in 1950,
and again in 1978, by substituting titanium oxide for the lead.
Paints that are manufactured today are to contain no lead at
all.
The risk of lead poisoning from older paints
came from lead that had crumbled or had been worn from friction
into dust. The dust got onto the floor and on toys or other
objects on the floor. Children would be poisoned when they would
crawl on the floor or touch their toys, then put their hands
in their mouth.
Lead poisoning can also occur from breathing
lead dust or ingesting the paint itself. Many children have
been poisoned when they ingested paint chips.
The United States Department of Housing and
Urban Development (HUD) did a study to determine how widespread
the problem was. They found that 74% of housing built before
1980 contained lead-based paint.
Since paint is almost never removed before adding
a new coat of paint, many buildings constructed before lead
was banned still contain many layers of lead paint. The new
lead-free paints will reduce the amount of lead that can be
exposed, as long as the new and old paint remain intact. Paint
can crumble, for example, when moisture from a water leak get
behind the paint and causes it to peel or crumble.
Paint manufacturers sometimes recommend sanding
existing paint prior to help the new paint grip the existing
paint better. Doing so can introduce lead dust into the room.
As you might guess, lawyers have been litigating
cases of lead poisoning for years, even cases where the poisoning
took place 20 years ago.
Since many churches are in older buildings,
it would be wise to have the building tested for the presence
of lead paint, lead dust, or lead in the water. This is true
if the building was constructed prior to 1980, but critical
if it was constructed prior to 1950.
If lead is found, measures should be taken immediately
to remedy the problem. Testing laboratories can recommend what
treatments would be effective or can recommend companies that
specialize in lead abatement.
First and foremost, our churches should be a
safe environment to be in, especially for the youngest who are
the most susceptible to harm from lead.
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