Get the lead out and avoid health problems

One could think that, by now, it should be a “lead-pipe cinch” to keep lead out of our bodies. One could think that, if one was old enough to remember when lead pipes for drinking water were common because the material was more flexible and lasted longer than the old alternative of iron.

We’re confident “lead-pipe cinch” — meaning something is very easy or certain — has pretty much disappeared from conversation. Lead pipes were federally banned from use in new construction by an amendment to the Safe Drinking Water Act in 1986.

And we clearly knew lead was a health risk long before that. The Consumer Product Safety Commission banned the use of lead paint for residential use, toys, furniture and schools in 1978.

That’s right, we’ve known the health risks of lead for more than 46 years. Yet as a Spotlight PA story in Wednesday’s paper noted, a report from the state Department of Health found nearly 9,000 Pennsylvania Children younger than 16 tested positive for elevated lead levels in 2022.

(There is some good news. According to the National Center for Healthy Housing, childhood lead poisoning in Pennsylvania has declined. in 2012, 13,890 children tested had elevated lead in their blood).

Lead is dangerous at any age, at any level, but is particularly so for children. As the Spotlight story put it, in those who are still growing, “the chemical can damage their developing brains and nervous systems, harm their kidneys, cause cardiovascular issues, and even slow their skeletal growth.”

A big reason lead continues to impact children despite nearly half a century of banning use in paint and pipes, of course, is that we still have a lot of homes built pre-1978. One estimate determined more than 70% of homes in the Commonwealth were built before the paint ban, though the state website (pa.gov) says homes built before 1950 are more likely to have it than those built from 1950 to 1978.

The best solution for lead pipes is to replace them with copper or PVC, but few can afford any extensive work on an old house, so the alternative is a good water filter — though, as the Spotlight story noted, it’s essential to replace the filter as recommended. At the very least, if you have lead pipes, run water from the tap before using it. The longer water sits in the pipe, the more opportunity lead has to leach into it.

Lead paint is more problematic. The only sure way to know you have it is to get it checked by a certified inspector. The federal EPA website, epa.gov, does provide an option for finding a firm near you, as well as a lot of other related information through The National Lead Information Center.

If you’re not certain, there are a few things you can do to reduce risk in removing paint. Don’t use a heat gun — it actually lets the lead enter the air. Similarly, dry sanding creates fine particles that fill the air. Even if you’re not removing a coat of paint, it’s important in old homes to prevent children from finding paint chips. In perhaps a bit of irony, the deadly lead in the paint actually can make a chip taste sweet, so youngsters who decide to sample a chip may want more.

“Lead-pipe cinch” may be an idiom of the past, but lead is still very much a present hazard. And in this case, “get the lead out” means more than picking up the pace; it means preventing avoidable health problems.