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SHOULD YOU BE
CONCERNED ABOUT
LEAD PAINT?
We’ve probably all heard of ‘lead paint’ and
are aware that it is not safe. But why was
it used at all, why is it so dangerous, and
why is it still an issue for childcare centres
today?
Throughout human history lead has proved
itself to be an incredibly useful metal. It
does not rust and is highly malleable. It has
been put to all sorts of uses such as pottery,
painting, cosmetics, piping, batteries,
roofing, radiation shielding, the list goes on.
In different forms: lead carbonate and lead
sulphate (white lead), lead oxide (red lead),
and lead chromate (yellow lead) has been
used in paint since ancient Greek times
as a pigment, to speed up drying, and to
improve a paint’s durability and resistance
to moisture. These qualities make lead paint
ideal for protecting and decorating buildings.
Lead also has a sweet taste, which might
be why ancient Romans added it to their
wine and dinnerware. It is also why kids of
yesteryear liked to chew their painted cots,
windowsills, and painted toys.
But despite its usefulness, lead is also a
poison. Toxic levels of lead in the body (lead
poisoning) can cause a variety of symptoms
such as tiredness, high blood pressure,
abdominal pain, difficulty with memory,
mood disorders, and can ultimately lead to
death.
In children, lead affects the developing
brain and nervous system and can result in
impaired cognitive and neurobehavioural
development of children. Exposure to lead
in the womb can slow a foetus’ growth,
result in lower birth weight and even cause
premature birth.
Lead is a bioaccumulative toxin meaning
prolonged exposure to a low level of
contamination can result in noticeable lead
concentration in the body over time.
Lead was widely used in paint in New
Zealand until 1965, when white lead was
banned. Red lead and lead chromate
were used until the late 1970s and early
1980s. Another lead containing compound,
calcium plumbate, continued to be used
as a primer for galvanised roofing until the
1990s. It wasn’t really until 1996, when
the government finally banned lead in
petrol, that lead was properly phased out of
widespread use in New Zealand.
This means that many properties in New
Zealand contain or used to contain buildings
that were painted with lead-based paints.
Over time or as a result of sanding and
repainting, paint flakes or dust will have
found its way into the soil surrounding
the building. It may also have been buried
through redevelopment. Lead is a persistent
environmental pollutant which means it
doesn’t break down and the soil can remain
contaminated long after a building may have
been removed.
Ministry of Health guidance
1
advises that
studies have found ingestion to be the
primary route for lead entering a child’s
body. Pre-school children are particularly
vulnerable as they tend to eat, chew, lick
or suck anything they can get their hands
on. We all try in vain to get our children to
wash their dirty hands before eating. It is
conservatively estimated that children may
ingest up to 100 mg/day of soil. Further
studies have shown a correlation between
hours spent playing outdoors and blood
lead level, especially for preschool children.
Therefore, outdoor play poses a significant
risk for children.
Given the widespread use of lead based
paint in New Zealand and the age of many
of our buildings, the potential for young
children to come into contact with lead
contaminated soils needs to be carefully
considered when looking to establish an
early childhood education centre or home-
based childcare centre on a property.
The Resource Management Act (the RMA)
and the national environmental standard
on soil contamination
2
(the NES) provide
a regulatory framework under which any
childcare centre must comply.
The Ministry for the Environment publishes
a Hazardous Activities and Industries
List (the HAIL) that lists activities and
industries considered likely to cause land
contamination. Under this list, land that
BY GERARD MCCARTEN
December 2017
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