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

1971

•Lead-Based Paint Poisoning Prevention Act passed

1978

•Lead-based paint is banned in the U.S.

Lead Use Paint

Increase durability Gasoline

Reduces engine knock Improve car performance

Ethnic remedies Treating upset stomach,

etc. Lead pipes

Water and sewage Also found in solder,

industrial processes, toys

Stakeholders Residents

Disadvantaged areas Communities near

industry Non-profit

organizations Alliance for Healthy

Homes National Lead

Information Center *Washington Toxics

Coalition *The Trumpeter Swan

Society

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: Asarco

Copper 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 Factors

Interspecies variability

10

Human variability

10 2

Adult to child 10

Database 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/day

BW = 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

10-14 µg/dL15-19 µg/dL20-24 µg/dL25-44 µg/dL45-69 µg/dL>=70 µg/dL

1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 20080

5

10

15

20

25

30

Elevated Blood Lead Levels in Washington

from 1997-2006

10-14 µg/dL15-19 µg/dL20-24 µg/dL25-44 µg/dL45-69 µg/dL>=70 µg/dL

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.

Precautionary AssessmentCommunity/Social parameter

Score Comment

Goal 3/3 Does not aid movement toward healthy bodies, ecosystems

Need 3/3 An unnecessary additive to a variety of processes and products

Future generations 3/3 High impact on future generations

Democratic, community-based process

3/3 Community not consulted

Alternatives 3/3 Alternatives not considered

Total 15/15 Highly unsupportive to health and community

Precautionary AssessmentExposure parameters

Score Comment

Exposure 3/3 Many disadvantaged areas have high exposure rates

Multiple exposures 3/3 If a child is exposed to lead once, they are often exposed many times

Children exposed 5/5 Children are the at-risk group for exposure

Consumer products 2/3 Lead is found in consumer products, including toys and computers

Occupational exposure

2/3 Lead is found in industrial processes

Food exposure 2/3 Lead found in water supply

Total 17/20 Significant exposure risk

Precautionary AssessmentHazard/Toxicity parameters

Score Comment

Hazard 10/10 Neurotoxin, developmental, behavioral problems

Individual sensitivity 3/3 Children are sensitive

Ecological hazard 3/3 Many species susceptible to lead poisoning

Volume 5/5 Lead consumption is critically high

Persistent 3/3 Highly persistent

Bioaccumulates 3/3 Accumulates in bones, blood

Uncertainty 1/3 Very certain

Total 28/30 Very hazardous. Chemical of serious concern

ComparisonS. Gilbert’s Precautionary Assessment

Community/Social

12/15

Exposure 16/20

Hazard/Toxicity 27/30Our Precautionary Assessment

Community/Social

15/15

Exposure 17/20

Hazard/Toxicity 28/30

References U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

www.epa.gov/lead Washington State Department of Ecology

www.ecy.gov U.S. Office of Housing and Development

www.hud.gov Understanding Lead Paint Litigation

www.leadlawsuits.com Center for Disease Control and Prevention

www.cdc.gov/lead Toxipedia

www.toxipedia.org