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LEAPP Alliance UK Update
LEAPP Alliance (Lead Exposure and Poisoning
Prevention Alliance) is a joint initiative of the
Lead Containing Materials Association, Lead In
The Water and Lead Safe World UK.
The mission of the alliance is to use our
collective knowledge, experience and skill to
promote lead poisoning prevention in the UK. If
you want to do something about lead toxicity
in the UK, please endorse us. You can find their
website here: https://leappalliance.org.uk/
Here’s their update.
To: All Supporters of the LEAPP Alliance
This is one of my occasional updates on activities of the LEAPP Alliance. Firstly, some appeals for
help…
● Do you live in a council home, or other social housing, and think you may have lead
hazards?. I am working with a journalist from the Financial Times called Laura Hughes
who is interested in writing a piece on this. She would like some personal stories, but
these can be anonymous if you wish. Please let me know if you can help.
● There are many potential opportunities to try to progress lead poisoning prevention and
we are letting a lot pass by. Please let me know if you are willing and able to help in any
way – you choose what way, of course.
● If you would like to get more involved with setting our priorities, I would like to invite you
to join our steering group. We meet for an hour once every two months. Please let me
know if you would like to be told about the next meeting which will be in May.
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Some things that have been happening include:
Supporters
We now have over 90 supporters with a good mix of householders, researchers, service
providers and advocates.
Spokespeople
I am attempting to grow our capability by having spokespersons on different topics. The idea
is that I can field enquiries to others. So far we have the following:
● Child health – Erik Millstone
● Toys and baby foods – Becky Farr-Barron
● Lead-safe DIY – Tim Pye
If you feel you could be the spokesperson on any of the following topics, or others, please let
me know:
● Drinking water
● Soil
● Construction
● AVGAS
● Food
● Ceramics, glasses and other foodware
● Cosmetics
● Traditional medicine
● Jewellery
● Wildlife
● Health impacts of lead toxicity
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UK Lead Safe Mamas
A private Facebook group called UK Lead Safe Mamas is active and growing rapidly - now
with 110 members. You don’t have to be a “mama” to join!
Media
BBC Morning Live presented two good films about lead hazards from old paint on 8
th
February. Clips from the programme can be found here. Or on BBC IPlayer from timings
11:56 to 19:29 and 29:25 to 36:08. The films feature LEAPP Alliance supporters Suzanne
How, Paulina Spencer, Caroline Taylor, Ludovica Gazze and Hesaan Sheridan. The anchor
man said they had a lot of emails.
Lee Crawfurd has published a succinct and persuasive article for the Social Media
Foundation called “The need for the UK to address lead poisoning”. I recommend sharing it.
I recorded a podcast for the ENDS Report (“The UK's No 1 source of intelligence for
environmental professionals”). It is not published yet.
Laura Hughes, Financial Times, is working on articles about lead in the food chain and lead
hazards in council homes. I am providing information.
Governmental
Health and Social Care Committee
Our submission to their prevention enquiry is now online. However, there have been
300 submissions with no transparency on prioritisation. Their report on “Prevention in
health and social care: healthy places” does not mention lead hazards.
Healthy Homes and Building All Party Parliamentary Group
I asked a meeting of the HHB APPG, on 24
th
Jan, why their “Healthy Homes
Manifesto” does not mention lead hazards. The chair, Lord Best, responded with “another
one for the list”. I also gave him a copy of our manifesto.
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Manchester and Liverpool Westminster Group
I attended a meeting of this group titled “Unlocking Great North West Homes and
Places”. This was not really useful, but I did talk to Lord Stunnell who is a member of the
HHB APPG and gave him one of our leaflets.
National Screening Committee
The NSC review of their recommendation against screening children was due in
2021/22. I have asked why this has not been done. Their answer was recruitment and
procurement difficulties. They added that it is now “part of a wider programme of work”
and there is no confirmed date.
UK Health Security Agency
I have corresponded with Dr Edward Wynne-Evans, Director, Radiation, Chemical
and Environmental Hazards, in the UKHSA. He acknowledges the importance of
preventing lead exposure, but the plans are to gather more evidence and to map the
health and policy landscape before doing anything. I have asked why they cannot
take some quick, cheap simple actions that do no more than amplify existing
messages. I have not yet received an answer.
I also attended a meeting of the Lead Exposure, Public Health Interventions and
Surveillance (LEPHIS) steering group where priorities were voted on. I had suggested
some more before the meeting, as requested, but these were not added to the list. I
expressed frustration at the lack of practical action to prevent lead poisoning.
ECLIPS
The funding application for the Elevated Childhood Lead Interagency Prevalence
Study (ECLIPS) pilot has been submitted. A decision is expected by June. If
approved, it is expected that the pilot will take 2 years starting in October and be
followed by a study which will estimate the prevalence of elevated blood lead in UK
children.
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Water
Sampling protocols
We have had further discussion with Nicholas Adjei, Deputy Chief Inspector, Drinking
Water Inspectorate about recommending that water companied ask customers to
leave their taps overnight before testing for lead. He says that “the Inspectorate does
not consider there is a level of evidence to support a change in the position”. We
wonder what evidence they are basing their 30 minute stagnation time position on.
Our plan is to make contact with Colin Hayes who has published research into this.
Scottish Government
The new Repairing Standard: Statutory guidance for landlords requires that properties
“should be free of lead pipes”. Landlords are required to comply from 1 March 2024. I am not
aware of any plan to extend this to the rest of the UK.
Communications
Painting and Decorating Association
We have submitted over 50 suggested changes to a draft leaflet prepared by
Shepherd PR for the PDA.
Royal Society of Chemistry
An article called “Why we still need to worry about lead” is being prepared. A number
of revisions were identified at a recent meeting and I now need to apply them to the draft.
Manifesto and Leaflets
I just thought I would mention that our leaflets and manifesto, that several of you
contributed to, continue to be used. The leaflets are on their third reprint! Thank you
for your input to these.
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Social Media
I continue to post on Facebook, Linked In and Twritter.
DIY Testing
I have been doing some comparative amateur evaluation of two newish lead detection
methods.
Scitus Swabs
These seem to work as well as 3M LeadCheck including not giving false positives on
copper, tungsten, or even in air, as found with some water activated swabs.
I have also been sent a prototype for testing for lead in soil.
Lumetallix
This kit utilises a reaction, used in the production of solar panels, where methyl
ammonium bromide reacts with lead to form perovskite compounds which luminesce
in ultra-violet light. I will be sharing a report on what I have found.
What is disturbing, and also found by the
developers, is that many beer glasses that are
coated with lead paint. For example:
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The method also shows up how contamination
spreads from leaded windows to the glass in
between.
Individuals
I try to help individuals where I can. I was also contacted
by a team of final year students at Manchester would are looking at lead contaminated water
in schools and heavy metals in industrial waste
Best regards,
Tim Pye, LEAPP Alliance UK
