Hence gout and stone afflict the human race; Hence lazy jaundice with her saffron face; Palsy, with shaking head and tott'ring knees. And bloated dropsy, the staunch sot's disease; Consumption, pale, with keen but hollow eye, And sharpened feature, shew'd that death was nigh. The feeble offspring curse their crazy sires, And, tainted from his birth, the youth expires. (Description of lead poisoning by an anonymous Roman hermit, translated by Humelbergius Secundus, 1829)
Transcript
Hence gout and stone afflict the human race;Hence lazy jaundice with her saffron face;Palsy, with shaking head and tott'ring knees.And bloated dropsy, the staunch sot's disease;Consumption, pale, with keen but hollow eye,And sharpened feature, shew'd that death was nigh.The feeble offspring curse their crazy sires,And, tainted from his birth, the youth expires.
(Description of lead poisoning by an anonymous Roman hermit, translated by Humelbergius Secundus, 1829)
More About Lead(in Washington)Mark Crippen and Cristina Haworth
Winter 2010
Background
An Abbreviated Timeline of Lead
6500 BCE •Lead discovered in Turkey
500-300 BCE •Roman smelting of lead, use in plumbing and paints
100 BCE •First description of lead poisoning by ancient Greeks
1887 •Lead poisoning diagnosed in the U.S.
1920’s •U.S. government recommends use of lead paint in residences
1921 •GM Engineers put tetraethyl lead into gasoline
1943 •Lead is determined to cause neurological, developmental, and behavioral problems in children
Government agencies Center for Disease Control Environmental Protection
Agency Food and Drug
Administration Department of Public
Health Department of Housing
and Development Occupational Safety and
Health Administration *WA State Department of
Ecology
* Washington-based organization/agency
Hazard Identification
At-Risk Population Children
Hand-to-mouth behavior
Play environment Rapid breathing rate
Poor Recent immigrants Occupationally
exposed parents
Case Study: Lead Lawsuit
Baron and Budd, P.C. http://baronandbudd.com/legal_services/other_toxic_substances/lead_paint
Client: family of a 5-year-old boy diagnosed with lead poisoning Low-income housing Contained lead-based
paint Ingested paint chips
Lead poisoning resulted in neurological damage
Case Study: Lead Lawsuit Suit brought against the
family's landlord: Knew apartment contained
lead-based paint Previous citations for
violations of lead-based paint regulations
Failed to remove the paint, or warn tenants
Confidential settlement reached between Baron & Budd and landlord Trust fund set up for the
child
Case Study: AsarcoCopper smelting in Tacoma
1940’s-era photo of the Asarco smokestack seen from the Port of Tacoma. Photo courtesy of HistoryLink.org
Case Study: Asarco 1999- Department of
Ecology and local health departments in King, Pierce, Kitsap, and Thurston counties conduct study to: Determine extent of soil
pollution Test soils where children play Provide education and
outreach to affected communities
Document process and action plans (Tacoma Smelter Plume Management Plan)
Case Study: Asarco As of 2006 over 300 child-use facilities within
the area were tested in King and Pierce counties Above state standards:
10% percent in mainland King County 30% on Vashon/Maury Island 30% percent in Pierce County
In 2005, the Legislature passed RCW 70.140 to keep children safe from Asarco pollution
A Few Interesting Facts Renal disease and gout Most lead inhaled to lower
respiratory tract is absorbed
Absorbed lead is split between Blood Mineralizing tissues Soft tissues
Half-life: 28-36 days U.S. was the last country to
remove lead from paint Adults: decreased libido
and impotence
Risk Assessment Question
Guiding Questions What is the risk to children of lead poisoning
from house dust, paint chips, and residential soil in Washington State? Are the current regulatory standards for soil lead concentrations sufficient?
Longbone radiographs of hands. “Lead lines” in five year old male with radiological growth retardation and blood lead level of 37.7μg/dL. (Photo courtesy of Dr. Celsa López, Clinical Epidemiologic Research Unit, IMSS, Torreón, México)
Current Regulations
EPA: Blood lead action level: 10 µg/dL
EPA: Air lead level: 0.15 µg/m³
WA DoE- Residential soil: 250 ppm EPA- Parks/playground soil: 400 ppm EPA- Non-play area soil: 1200 ppm
Exposure Assessment
Routes of Exposure Inhalation
Aerosolized house dust, residential soil
Occupational exposure
Ingestion Lead paint chips Hand-to-mouth
behavior Contaminated food or
water
Washington Toxics Coalition Study Soil:
Soil lead level for pre-1950’s residences: 1000-6000 ppm
Levels will increase as lead is removed from the buildings by weathering and maintenance
Lead is tracked into buildings and contributes to lead levels in house dust
Paint: 1.5 million homes built before 1978 ban on lead-
based paint 80% estimated to contain lead-based paint
The average lead level of interior carpet was 10,700 µg/m² when outside shoes were worn inside 35,100 µg/m² in a remodeled home
Paint Cleanup EPA-recommended processes for
cleanup of lead-contaminated construction sites: Inform residents Create safe work environment:
signage and personal protective equipment
Remove furniture Cover floor and any areas that are
not to be worked on Close and seal vents, turn of HVAC Minimize dust Clean construction site daily Ensure workers are clean before
leaving construction site Thoroughly vacuum and dust the
site, use general-purpose cleaner over entire site
Equation Set Up
Uncertainty factor: 10,000
Uncertainty FactorsInterspecies variability
10
Human variability
10 2
Adult to child 10Database uncertainty
10
Subchronic to chronic
10 5
I = C· CR· EFD BW· AT
I = C· CR· EFD = C· CR BW· AT BW
C = I· BW CR
Risk Characteristics
Calculation
C = I· BW = .00047 mg • 18.5 kg • day CR kg· day 0.0002 kg
C = 43 mg lead = 43 ppm kg
I = 47/10000 = .00047 mg/kg/day
CR = 0.0002 kg/dayBW = 18.5 kg
C = ?
EPA: 200mg/day NOAEL: 47mg/kg/day
EPA Soil Screening Level Case Study
No reference dose Unsafe at any level
Conclusions and Realities Conclusion: 43 ppm is the maximum level for soil lead
concentrations. The reality is
Lead is a persistent contaminant which is highly unregulated and can cause irreversible damage.
Current regulations are insufficient to protect children, adults, and the environment.
43 ppm is an unrealistic goal, given the cost and extent of pollution.
Recommendations: Increase random soil sampling around homes and
communities, especially in urban areas. Set the threshold for action at 150 ppm in residential soil. This
is a more reasonable number, which takes cost, political opposition, and human health into consideration.
Risk Management and Communication
CDC’s National Surveillance Data:U.S. & Washington State Statistics
1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 20080
10,000
20,000
30,000
40,000
50,000
60,000
70,000
80,000
Elevated Blood Lead Levels in the U.S.from 1997-2006
Washington’s Progress Washington State childhood blood lead
registry Children from birth until their 16th birthday Includes data as of October 20, 2008
Data doesn’t necessarily represent all children in the state A very small percent of children in Washington
have blood lead tests
Testing Methods
Home lead water test kit.
Home lead soil test kit.
Contractor Certification “Beginning April 2010 contractors performing work
that disturbs lead-based paint in homes, child care facilities, and schools built before 1978 must: Be EPA certified, and Follow specific work practices to prevent lead
contamination. ” “Lead-Safe Practices”
Contain the work area Minimize dust Clean up thoroughly
Wisconsin, Iowa, and North Carolina enforce a Lead Renovation, Repair, and Painting program Allows greater local regulation
Lead in the Media “Strong link between crime, lead exposure in children”
“…even relatively low levels of lead permanently damage the brain and are linked to higher numbers of arrests, particularly for violent crime.”
“…55 percent of the subjects …had been arrested, and that the average was five arrests between the ages of 18 and 24.”
“For those with average lead level in the study, their brains were about 1.2 percent smaller. The most affected regions of the brain were those regulating decision making, impulse control and attention…”
Recommendations for Communication Create multi-lingual pamphlets to cater to the
needs of minorities and recent immigrants Spread awareness at community meetings,
especially in poorer or otherwise disadvantaged areas.
Write legislators, senators, and representatives to push lead cleanup to the forefront of environmental policy.
Provide informational pamphlets at paint retailers. Encourage purchase of test kit.
