LEAD Action News Volume 22 Number 2 June 2024 22 of 73

From the Vaults

In this edition of LEAD Action News, we’re

bringing you a new section: “From the Vaults”.

It is here that we’ve selected something created

many years ago, but is still as relevant today as

back then.

Grandma Lead (as she is known today) wrote

this in 1993… 31 years on it is such important

information that we’re sharing it here.

Step into the time with and help keep this great

information alive.

7 Point Plan for the MANAGEMENT OF LEAD by Australian parents and

carers.

This 7 Point Plan was written by Elizabeth O’Brien in 1993 and first web-published at

https://lead.org.au/fs/fst26.html but has always featured in our top 100 downloads throughout millions

of views The LEAD Group’s first website, and has been distributed by post, fax, email and at community

events to tens of thousands of Australians

Also see the factsheet "How would you know if you or your child was lead poisoned? at

www.lead.org.au/fs/fst3.html

Keep reading!

LEAD Action News Volume 22 Number 2 June 2024 23 of 73

7 Point Plan for the MANAGEMENT OF

LEAD by Australian parents and

carers

Lead Flow Chart:

Major Pathways of Child, Renovator &

Worker Lead Poisoning

How to prevent lead ingestion by intervention at the seven

points in the Lead Flow Chart (above):

Even though you may only have considered one aspect of lead poisoning prevention, we are providing

information on numerous aspects of the problem, in the hope that you will find the holistic approach

useful, and that you will realise how powerful you are personally in reducing the toxic lead load (and

because lead is often found with other chemicals, reducing the toxic chemical load in general) on

people (especially children) and the environment, now and in the future.

Point 1: Petrol → Surfaces. Australia reduced the amount of lead in petrol in 1993 and phased out

leaded petrol by 1

January 2002 but stopping the flow of lead from petrol into the environment does

nothing to reduce the historical lead contamination from petrol to be found in car engines, soils, dusts,

waterways, sediments, etc.

● Do not undertake servicing or dismantling of old cars on your property;

● Avoid homes or child-care within 10-20 m of major roads;

● Lead from petrol and other sources builds up in the ceiling dust in houses and other buildings

and can be an ongoing source (through cracks, ceiling roses, etc) or sudden source (if the

ceiling falls down or is demolished) of lead contamination of interior dust. Leaded ceiling dust

is just another reason (apart from leaded paint) that renovation is the most likely cause of

childhood and renovator lead poisoning. See the NSW government factsheet "Lead in Ceiling

Dust" – follow link at https://www.epa.nsw.gov.au/your-environment/household-building-and-

renovation/lead-safety and see the website of the Australian Dust Removalists Association

(ADRA), www.adra.com.au for specialists in ceiling dust removal, in Melbourne, Sydney and

LEAD Action News Volume 22 Number 2 June 2024 24 of 73

Broken Hill. Do not attempt ceiling dust removal yourself.

Point 2: Paint → Surfaces - to stop lead particles from paint getting onto surfaces that children or

pets might touch:

● Test for lead in any pre-1997 deteriorated house paint or pre-2010 industrial paint (see Point 4

for test procedures);

● Use barrier methods (like clear contact, fencing) and consistent clean-up until safe removal

can be organised;

● Negotiate a contract with a professional renovator with experience (preferably training) in lead

paint removal to remove lead paint hazards, guaranteeing no dispersal of lead, and approved

disposal of contaminated debris;

● Protect children, adults of reproductive capacity and pets from renovation works. See "Lead

alert: Six Step Guide to Painting your Home" on the website www.environment.gov.au : and

"Lead in Home Renovations" link at https://www.epa.nsw.gov.au/your-

environment/household-building-and-renovation/lead-safety

● Call on your state parliamentarians to institute training and licensing for lead abatement (paint

removal) contractors and lead assessors, and for Certificates of Lead Safety for houses and

childcare premises. See "Lead hazard management in children’s services" link at

https://www.epa.nsw.gov.au/your-environment/household-building-and-renovation/lead-

safety

Point 3: Industry → Surfaces

● Avoid homes and child-care near lead industry;

● Reduce your use and purchase of all lead products and lead-containing products like

plumbing products made with leaded brass or bronze (pumps, taps, etc), cars, leaded

jewellery, fishing sinkers; and contribute to maximum possible recycling rates for lead, e.g. car

batteries, light bulbs, flashing, pipes, wheel balancing weights, sinkers;

● As lead is one of the toxic emissions from coal burning power stations, reduce your electricity

use.

Point 4: Surfaces → Hands. Whether the source is petrol, paint or industry, the major pathway of lead

poisoning, especially for children (and pets) is via soil and dust (residual) contamination, to surfaces and

then from hands to mouth. To stop lead getting from surfaces to hands:

● Have your home or childcare centre assessed for lead contamination by an experienced lead

LEAD Action News Volume 22 Number 2 June 2024 25 of 73

assessor or building biologist. Or if you can’t afford to engage a professional to come out to

the house,

● Purchase a LEAD Group Kit at www.leadsafeworld.com/shop - and follow the sampling

instructions for sending soil, dust, drinking water, paint, home-grown eggs and a range of

consumer products for lead content analysis to Sydney Analytical Laboratories. This is an

independent NATA accredited lab which then sends the results to The LEAD Group who write

you an interpretation and plan for reducing lead risks. Lead test kits which change colour to

show if lead is present in paint or ceramics etc are available from some hardware stores and

paint trade centres but cannot tell you how much lead is in the sample and may give false

positive or false negative results. Any contractor (eg painter, roofer, demolisher) who works on

paint or ceiling dust containing more than 1% lead (only a lab result can tell you) must notify

the worker health authority before starting work, Dust and soil testing for lead should always

follow.

● Industrial HEPA vacuum, wet down and then remove old carpets, replace with washable hard

surfaces like cork;

● Carpets which remain, and drapes and soft furnishings can be deleaded on the surface by

Elite Maintenance Service Pty Ltd (ph 131580). Carpets should be vacuumed with a HEPA-

vacuum or when children are out of the room, and Elite-cleaned every 3 months. Never put

vacuum cleaner dust or street dust in your compost/worm farm;

● Wet wipe, using liquid sugar soap and a sponge or mop, all hard surfaces your child may

contact, at least fortnightly, and preferably twice weekly or even daily during the crawling

phase;

● Stop track-in of dust or soil by placing washable mats or wet towels at the front and back doors

(see VAP entry below);

● Cover bare soil with grass or more permanent barriers like rubber mats that let the grass grow

through, gravel, etc;

● Mop paths, verandahs. See the fact sheet "Lead Aware housekeeping" at

www.lead.org.au/fs/fst4.html and "Lead safety at home" – see link at

https://www.epa.nsw.gov.au/your-environment/household-building-and-renovation/lead-

safety

● Before purchasing or renting a house which is likely to be lead contaminated, use a LEAD Group

Kit or have a lead assessment done and negotiate a fair price/rent for the house taking into

account the cost of remedying lead hazards.

LEAD Action News Volume 22 Number 2 June 2024 26 of 73

Image: 2022

Volcano Art Prize

(VAP) Entry by

Elizabeth O’Brien.

Title: Wet towels

collecting leaded

soil off Harry's shoes.

Lead-safety

Message: Stop

leaded soil track-in

with wet washable

towels at the back

door. After washing

a load and laying

the towels back

down wet from the

machine, wet-wipe

down the machine

and run a cycle with

no washing to clean

the bowl for ordinary

clothes washing. https://volcanoartprize.com/portfolio-item/wet-towels-collecting-leaded-soil-off-harrys-shoes/

Point 5: Hands → Mouth

● Wash children's hands whenever they get dirty, and before eating or sleeping; wash own hands

after smoking;

● Use a brush to clean under fingernails;

● Don't allow children to eat away from the table;

● Pin dummies to baby’s clothing; don’t create lead paint dust or allow lead dust to get onto

your work clothes; change out of dusty work clothes and shower before hugging or picking up

children;

● Ensure supervision sufficient to prevent the child eating old paint or contaminated soil.

Point 6: Mouth → Blood. Many individual factors influence what percentage of the lead that is eaten

is absorbed from the gut, e.g. an empty stomach absorbs far more lead than a full one, children absorb

5 times more of the lead in the gut than adults. To minimise lead absorption:

● Ensure adequate iron, calcium, zinc, Vit C, protein, omega 3 fatty acids, pectin, wholegrain

rice and a host of other nutrients in the diet. See www.leadsafeworld.com/solutions/foods-for-

lead-detox/

LEAD Action News Volume 22 Number 2 June 2024 27 of 73

● Ensure that fatty fast foods (high in omega 6 fatty acids) are not consumed too frequently;

● Stick to the good food pyramid.

● Ensure children have frequent small meals, especially before playing in the morning.

● Testing the blood for lead is the best way of assessing recent exposure (over the last 3 months)

to lead. See "Childhood Lead Poisoning Risk Factor Questionnaire" at

www.lead.org.au/fs/fst10.html and “Medical Evaluation Questionnaire for Occupational Lead

Exposure” at www.lead.org.au/fs/fst66.html . To gain some understanding of the wide range of

health effects of increasing blood lead levels, see the factsheet: "Health Impacts of Lead

Poisoning" at www.lead.org.au/fs/fst7.html

Point 7: Blood → Bones and Teeth

● Fruits with lots of pectin eg apples and pears, citrus fruit peel (eg in marmalade), plums, MAY

reduce blood lead levels, ie after lead has already been absorbed from the gut. Eating fruit

with lots of pectin can't hurt;

● Ensure prospective parents' blood lead levels are (well below 5 µg/dL and preferably below 1

µg/dL) before a baby is conceived, and for men for 4 months before a baby is conceived in

order to avoid fertility problems or passing on lead to the foetus; test the mother’s blood lead

level in the first & third trimesters & the cord blood at the birth;

● Test a baby’s blood for lead just after crawling begins, and at least annually until age 6. If blood

lead testing was not done, testing children's shed baby teeth for lead is the best way to assess

the child's lead exposure at the time of the development of the teeth, which happens to

coincide with the early years of life when children are high-risk for ingesting and absorbing lead

and high sensitivity to the effects of lead. Send baby teeth for tooth lead testing to a NSW

Health lab. See www.lead.org.au/fs/Tooth%20analysis.html . Note: hair lead tests are

uninterpretable.