Lead Question.

[gisburnuk]

Lead is dangerous to young children and adults and can lead to mental and physical problems throughout a persons life, Lead is most dangerous when it is in a dust form because it is easily inhaled into the lungs and because it is a dust it can remain on any flat surfaces undetected for a long period of time.

My Concern

I'm not sure whether my fathers house has lead coated paint on the windows or anywhere else within the house but nevertheless I'm not concerned. What I am concerned is that the wood that my father brings home to burn on the open fire may contain lead paint and as a result I have become very concerned, I clear out the ash from the bottom of the fire and empty it into a bin bag on a regular basis and I would like to know whether I am putting my health and my fathers health within the house at risk.

My question. When lead paint is burned in a fire is the ash that is left over dangerous or as dangerous as unburnt lead? Should I be concerned if I am exposed to the ash that is left over from the fire?

Due to the amount of wood that my father burns on the fire I am not sure whether the wood that is burnt contains lead paint or ordinary safer paint, but I would like to know what is the likely chance that the wood that he brings home contains lead paint, I live in the UK.

 

I would very much appreciate any advice beacuse I am concerned that the house could be contaminated with hidden lead dust that could be putting our health at risk.

[YT2095]

My question. When lead paint is burned in a fire is the ash that is left over dangerous or as dangerous as unburnt lead? Should I be concerned if I am exposed to the ash that is left over from the fire?

 

yes, it certainly isn`t Good Ash, and will cotain all sorts of lead salts, be very carefull of inhalation and how you dispose of it!

[woelen]

If you really are concerned about lead dust in the house, then clean it thoroughly. Because the lead compounds are not volatile (as opposed to mercury metal), a single good cleanup of the house by means of removing dust with a damp towel should be OK. Any carpets should be vacuumcleaned well.

 

Of course, I cannot say much about past contamination, but also for that, I would not worry too much. If wood is burnt with some lead-containing paint on it, then the lead will be converted to lead (II) oxide, PbO. This compound, especially when calcined by strong heat, is completely insoluble. Getting this in your body mostly will result in unchanged excretion, but tiny amounts of course may be absorbed.

 

If i were you, I would thoroughly clean the house in the way mentioned above, and with future wood to be burnt, I would not use any painted wood anymore.

[jdurg]

Lead is actually not nearly as toxic to adults as it is to children. Lead affects the nervous system and is especially potent to children as their body is still developing. For an adult, their body is no longer growing so the amount of lead needed to cause a similar affect is much greater. In addition, the amount of lead in the paint is not all that great. It's a risk to children once more as they don't need nearly as much lead to start showing toxic affects, but in terms of risks to adults I wouldn't be too worried about it.

 

The best thing to do is just go get a blood test done. It's VERY easy to determine the level of lead in your blood and a simple, cheap test can do that and put your fears to rest.

[gisburnuk]

Is their a vast amount of wood out there in the UK that still contain lead paint?

How would I distinguish whether the wood that my father brings home contains lead paint, I mean it is a hell of a gamble.

[YT2095]

lead paint hasn`t been used in the uk now for several decades, a characteristic of old lead paint is that when rubbed with a finger or clean cloth, it`ll leave the color on the cloth or finger.

 

if a paint does that, Don`t trust it, if not then you`re quite safe (from lead anyway)

[Douglas]

I don't know about burning lead painted wood, but I know the people that solder printed circuit boards don't use special protection. I.E. they smell the fumes.

 

However, tell your father not to burn pressure treated wood.

[BhavinB]

Drink alot of orange juice. Lead Citrate is a more stable complex than some of the other harmful complexes in your body. Plus Lead Citrate will leave the body in your urine. Lead refineries have been giving their workers Citrate drinks for a long time now to protect them from accidental exposure.

 

This is just a precaution...you still don't wanna be exposed at all.

 

B

[Douglas]

Drink alot of orange juice. .

How about ....take two aspirin, and call me in the morning"

[akcapr]

lead paints actaully contain the lead salts like lead iodide. So if you were to burn it id say most of it would go in the ash. As long as you wash ur hands you should be fine i think.

[woelen]

lead paints actaully contain the lead salts like lead iodide. So if you were to burn it id say most of it would go in the ash. As long as you wash ur hands you should be fine i think.

Are you sure about the lead iodide. I do not think so. Lead iodide is soluble fairly well in warm water. One dust-wipe with a warm damp tissue would dissolve an appreciable amount of the (yellow) paint.

 

I hardly can image that lead is used in modern house-paints. It still is used in artists-paints, but that is not used for painting wood parts of buildings.

 

But for the OP, if you really worry, have lead levels checked in your blood, but I personally would not worry too much. But for the future I would be very careful not to use painted wood or at least have a good check on its source.

[YT2095]

I`m pretty sure PbO (litharge) yellow lead was used as was Pb304 (minium) red lead.

it`s possible the Chromate was used also, that`s a very bright yellow and not very soluble either.

apparently something called "Black Lead" was used on the cookers and stoves as a way to "Polish" them up to shine.

Very Healthy!

[gisburnuk]

Thankyou all for the information and advice.