Which paints contain lead

Lead was found in 23 of the 25 enamel paint samples. Of these 18 or 72 per cent of the samples did not meet the voluntary specification for lead content prescribed by bis. Of the five paint manufacturers only one, ici , did not use lead in its paint formulations see Paints' toxicity card. Of the five companies only two got back, saying they were in the process of phasing out lead from all decorative paints.

So cse tested another eight paint samples in June The new tests showed six of the eight samples still contained lead, of which five did not meet the voluntary bis specification. A silent epidemic Lead is one of the common elements. It is also the most common ecological hazard young children face. Among the medical fraternity it is referred to as the silent epidemic.

The human body is not designed to process lead. Sustained and large exposures can cause serious damage to health see The infiltrator. Children are especially susceptible. Until five years of age they can absorb up to 50 per cent of the lead they ingest, said Diane L Reboy, a legal nursing consultant in California, usa. Once inside their body, it begins damaging their central nervous system and brain that are still developing. The child may begin to perform poorly in exams or have short attention span.

Even extremely low levels of lead can impair foetal development, said Arvind Taneja, head of the paediatrics department in Fortis Hospital in Delhi. Adults may find it difficult to concentrate or remember things, feel pain in muscles and joints. Lead poisoning was documented as early as when the US medical authorities diagnosed child lead poisoning.

In , a physician, James Lockhart Gibson, for the first time linked child lead poisoning to paints in an article in Australian Medical Gazette. The federal agency is considering further bringing down the cut-off for lead. In , the George Foundation, a non-profit in Bengaluru, took blood samples of schoolchildren in some major Indian cities.

It is easy to expose yourself to lead; you may pick it up when admiring the velvety touch of paint on walls or when walking past a car belching exhaust. Some dyes, batteries, smelting units and soldering on water pipes contain lead. The most common way of lead poisoning is inhaling lead dust. Everyday activities like opening or closing windows glossed with lead-based paints or walking on leaded paint chips can raise lead dust. The dust can float in the air we inhale or settle on the floor and food.

A few years ago researchers from Kasturba Medical College in Mangalore found evidence of lead ingestion through paints. They studied lead levels in the blood of children and their ambience in the city in Karnataka. The results were published in the Indian Journal of Pediatrics in One, who had a blood lead level of The paint was pealing off. The researchers asked the municipal officials to remove the paint and use another one without lead.

A follow-up examination of the child three weeks later showed that the lead level in his blood reduced to An unconcerned industry Paints, especially in developing countries like India, are the main source of poisoning among children. That is when paint usage in India is very low; the per capita consumption is grammes, according to the commerce and industry ministry.

The world average is 15 kg per person. Until recession set in, the Indian paint industry was growing at a steady pace of 15 per cent per annum; it has declined to 9 per cent. With growing market, the threat of lead poisoning will only become bigger. Industry estimates the demand of paint in the country at , tonnes per year.

The size of the paint market is Rs 12,, crore see Paint makers on the next page. Asian Paints and Nerolac claim to have phased out lead in their paints since April The cse tests in showed near-zero lead in the Asian Paints samples but Nerolac samples contained a little lead.

Asian Paints' president K B S Anand said his company has removed lead from the decorative segment of paints primarily sold for residential purposes and only a few paints in the industrial sector still have lead.

Industrial paints are mostly used for painting automobiles and constitute roughly one-third of the paint market. The most widely used lead substitute is titanium white or titanium dioxide, also used for colouring food. Organic pigments are also used as alternatives. Then there is zirconium that can be mixed in paints for quicker drying and gloss.

The barium-zinc-sulfur combination replaces white lead. Paint companies complain that lead substitutes not only increase cost but also reduce paint performance. This makes the paint industry price competitive," said Ashok Saini, senior vice-president of Kansai Nerolac.

An ici employee, who is not authorized to speak to the media, said his company is losing its market because it was the first company to switch over to lead-free paints. Asian Paints' president also claimed sales in the decorative segment have become sluggish since his firm shifted to lead-free paints in April Saini suggested making it legally binding for manufacturers to remove lead. Kapoor said bis has been dilly-dallying making standards for paints mandatory.

The association wrote to bis for making mandatory the standards for lead in paints. Cap it legally Like most chemicals, paints in India can be made and sold without any regulations. They state "The product paints, emulsions shall not contain more than 0. A bis official said the paint industry does not follow the guidelines on lead. The paint industry wants some colours to be exempted from regulations. Guha said the Indian Paints Association has formed a technical committee, which is working with the Centre and bis on regulations to limit lead in paints.

The bis must remove these shades from its shade card," he said. Voluntary specifications and schemes have not been successful in motivating the industry. To reduce the chance of exposure to lead-based paint, surfaces in good condition can be covered with non-lead paint, vinyl wallpaper, wallboard or paneling. Certain precautions can help minimize the risk. Follow these safety tips when removing lead-based paint from walls, ceilings and other structures, or when sanding or knocking down a wall.

Depending on the difficulty of the work involved, it might be a good idea to hire a trained professional. Children are more sensitive to the effects of lead than adults. Children and women who are pregnant or trying to become pregnant should avoid exposure to lead.

If there is a chance your home will be contaminated with lead dust during renovations, move toddlers, preschool children, and pregnant women elsewhere until the work is done. Wear appropriate protective clothing such as coveralls, goggles, gloves, and most importantly, a U. Consult your local safety equipment dealer. Do not eat, drink, or smoke in an area where paint is being removed. To prevent spreading paint chips and dust to other parts of the house, remove children and pets and seal the area and all heating vents.

Protect the entrance to the working area with plastic to contain dust. Remove all drapes, rugs, furniture, and household items from the area. Cover objects that cannot be moved, including the floor, with heavy plastic, and seal with tape.

Fill a spray bottle with water and a small amount of detergent to wet all surfaces and to contain any dust during renovations or clean-up. If working outdoors, use drop sheets to catch any paint scrapings, avoid windy days and cover windows and doors with plastic to keep scrapings and dust out of the house.

Use techniques that do not spread lead dust or fumes. Chemical stripping produces the least amount of lead dust. As chemical stripping agents also contain potentially harmful substances, they must be used with care.

Mechanical removal through sanding or grinding produces more lead dust. Turn off forced air heating and air conditioning systems and cover vents with taped plastic sheeting.

Remove protective clothing and footwear whenever you leave the work area. Wash work clothes separately from other laundry or discard them when you are finished. At the end of each day, wetting the dust and wet-wiping will help clean up and prevent dust from spreading.

Put all waste into a secure container or sealed plastic bag. Mark the bag as hazardous waste. Vacuum with a HEPA vacuum cleaner. Learn about limits on lead in lipstick and other cosmetics. Food and liquids stored or served in lead crystal or lead-glazed pottery or porcelain can become contaminated because lead can leach from these containers into the food or liquid. Visit the FDA for more information on lead in food and containers.

Lead can enter drinking water when plumbing materials like pipes, faucets and fixtures that contain lead corrode. Lead can enter drinking water through corrosion of plumbing materials, especially where the water has high acidity or low mineral content that corrodes pipes and fixtures. Homes built before are more likely to have lead pipes, fixtures and solder. In , changes to the Safe Drinking Water Act reduced the maximum allowable lead content to be a weighted average of 0.

The most common problem is with brass or chrome-plated brass faucets and fixtures with lead solder. Corrosion is a dissolving or wearing away of metal caused by a chemical reaction between water and your plumbing. A number of factors are involved in the extent to which lead enters the water including the chemistry of the water acidity and alkalinity , the amount of lead it comes into contact with, how long the water stays in the plumbing materials and the presence of protective scales or coatings inside the plumbing materials.

One requirement of the LCR is corrosion control treatment to prevent lead and copper from contaminating drinking water. Corrosion control treatment means utilities must make drinking water less corrosive to the materials it comes into contact with on its way to consumers' taps. Lead can be found in hunting ammunition, fishing tackle, came and solder used in stained glass, weights used in stock cars, dyes and glazes used in pottery and many other places.

If someone in your family is a renovator or contractor working in older housing, then find out more about lead-safe work practices. If you are an owner or operator of outdoor rifle, pistol, trap, skeet or sporting clay ranges, then find out more about lead management at ranges. Some folk remedies for morning sickness, including "nzu", "poto" and "calabash chalk," contain dangerous levels of lead and other chemicals.

Consuming even small amounts of lead can be harmful. Lead poisoning from folk remedies can cause serious and irreversible illness. Visit the CDC for more information on lead in folk remedies. Skip to main content. Contact Us. Protect Your Family from Sources of Lead.