It seems as though every season brings us a new toxin to be aware of in our homes. We’ve been warned about asbestos, radon, PCB’s, and radiation from televisions. But, the poison most frequently found in our homes is lead. Lead has been a popular and common additive to paint since long before Van Gogh’s time. (Some historians have even attributed his insanity to lead poisoning.) There are probably very few houses in older communities like Cleveland Heights that don’t have lead-based paint in them.

Lead is a heavy metal. It is known to be toxic to people and other animals. It doesn’t break down or go away, so it remains in whatever it is used in. You can find lead in auto batteries, and in the solder holding copper pipes together. (In fact, prior to World War II, most water lines from the street to the house were made of lead.) It’s found in old-style leaded gasoline, and in the exhaust vapors from cars and trucks that use it. And, lead is found in paint, of all types and brands, made before the late-1970’s.

Most houses built before the late ’70’s have at least some lead-based paint in them – if not on the top layers, then in the older, buried layers of paint on the inside or outside of the home. When lead-based paint flakes or gradually rubs off (each time a window is opened or closed, for example,) or when painted plaster crumbles from a roof leak or other cause, this creates leaded dust. This dust is now considered the most common source of lead poisoning – NOT eating paint chips, as was previously believed. (Read more….)