Shabby chic Can Be Toxic
Chippy and Peeling Paint is not all it is cracked up to be!
The numbers are up according to the American Lung Association. As a Respiratory Therapist and someone who has had chronic, moderate to severe Asthma for almost half a decade, I am a staunch supporter of the ALA and always pass on info that can help others. I know I must sound like a broken record at times but this hit close to home this time, as I watch my beautiful grandbabies try to pick up anything and everything off the floor and pop it in there mouths. I have replaced or refinished everything I had left from my shabby chic days except one mirror. Fortunately as I was dusting the other day I noticed how many little chips fell to the floor. The problem is the older the pieces get the drier the old paint becomes and even if it isn't falling now, it will eventually and we know that babies and pets like to pick things up that may look tasty. The lead in some of the paints used prior to 1978 were what we now consider to be extremely lethal levels.
"Where Does Indoor Lead Pollution Come From?
Inhaled lead enters the body when a person breathes in particles of lead suspended in the air. The most common source of lead air pollution indoors is old paint found in homes built before 1978. 3 If left untouched and in good condition, lead-based paint may not pose a significant hazard to health. However, if it is chipped or deteriorating, paint can create dust, chips and suspended particles that can be inhaled. Activities like remodeling, dry scraping, and demolition also disturb and re-suspend paint particles.
Contaminated soil and dust tracked indoors from outside are also large contributors to indoor lead pollution. 2 Levels of lead in soil are higher near sources such as lead smelters,mines, old agricultural fields and heavily trafficked roadways. 4 Lead dust from workplace exposures also may be brought home and contribute to indoor air pollution. 2 People who work with or around lead must take care to avoid carrying lead particles home on their clothing or equipment.
What Can Lead Do to Your Health?
Exposure to lead can harm nearly every system in the body. It can even kill. Lead accumulates in our bones, liver, and kidneys and can get into our blood. The effects of lead poisoning may continue after the source of exposure has been eliminated. 2
The nervous system is the main target of lead's effects on the bodies of both adults and children. Lead can –
- Harm cognitive functions
- Cause behavioral problems
- Decrease IQ
Who Is at Risk?
Young children living in houses or apartment buildings built before1978 (especially those located in inner cities or built before 1950) are at greatest risk from exposure to lead. 1 Young children are likely to play on the floor where lead-laden dust may settle. They also are more likely to put their hands or lead-contaminated objects into their mouths. Children and babies are also most vulnerable to the harmful health effects of lead because their nervous systems are still developing. 4
Also at risk are people who work in industries that use lead, such as lead smelting and refining industries, brass/bronze foundries, rubber products and plastics industries, soldering, steel welding and cutting operations, battery manufacturing plants and lead compound manufacturing. Construction and demolition workers, painters and people who work at municipal waste incinerators, pottery and ceramics industries, radiator repair shops and other industries that use lead solder also may be exposed. 1
People living at a disadvantaged socioeconomic status also are more likely to suffer the health effects of lead exposure. 5 Lower income residences tend to be older and in worse condition than higher income housing. Chipping and deteriorating paint is a major source of lead indoors.
How Can Exposure to Lead in the Home Be Avoided?
If you suspect that there is lead-based paint in your home, take steps to protect your family.
- First, leave lead paint intact if possible. If you are concerned about the presence of lead paint, paint over it rather than try to remove it. Or hire a professional to remove it. If the paint is flaking, damp-mop floors to remove contaminated dust and wipe window ledges with a warm, damp rag and phosphate-containing dish washing detergent.
- If you plan on renovating, be sure to take precautions. http://www.epa.gov/iaq/homes/hip-lead.html Hire someone who has specialized training to remove lead paint, keep areas being remodeled separate from living areas, don't let children near the remodeling site, keep your home dust-free and, if possible, leave lead-based paint untouched if it is in good condition 3. Pregnant women and children should leave the building until the work is completed.
- Don't bring lead into the home. People who work with lead should follow the standards set by the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (link to http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/lead/standards.html), such as wearing proper protective gear. Do not bring dirty clothing or equipment that might have been exposed to lead particles into your home.
For more information on lead at home, school or work, visit http://www.epa.gov/iaq/lead.htmlor http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/lead/.
[1] Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry(ATSDR). 2007. Toxicological Profile for Lead. Atlanta, GA: U.S.Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service.
[2] California Air Resources Board (CARB). 2005. Report tothe California Legislature: Indoor Air Pollution in California.Sacramento, CA: California Environmental Protection Agency.
[3] "Lead-Based Paint." U.S. Environmental ProtectionAgency, 26 Aug. 2008. Web. http://www.epa.gov/iaq/homes/hip-lead.html.
[4] U.S. EPA. 2006. Air Quality Criteria for Lead (2006)Final Report. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Washington, DC,EPA/600/R-05/144aF-bF.
[5] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 2005.Blood Lead Levels – United States, 1999-2002. Morbidity and MortalityWeekly Report 54(20): 513-516
State of the Air 2010
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So be safe and if you aren't sure have it refinished and if you do it yourself wear protective gear.
Categories: Shabby Chic, Decorating, DIY
Tags: decorating shabby chic shabby chic blog shabby chic decorating interior design
this is something that occurred to me way back when everyone jumped on the shabby chic bandwagon. When the original rachel ashwell show came out, if you all remember, her look was very minimal. There was not furniture shoved into every available corner, her style showed a lot of open space, with just a few impact pieces here and there, and not all of them chipped to the maximum. However, when the look took off, people, as they usually do, figured if one chippy piece of furniture looked good, then a whole houseful looks great, and next thing you knew, a lovely style became very cluttered, overly chippy, (and waaaay too much roses and china) The whole point of the shabby chic look kind of went out the window. The way I see it, one or two pieces of SOMEWHAT banged up furniture is not so bad, but a whole houseful at the very least has got to be creating a whole lot of toxic dust. Some of the chipped furniture makes me itchy just looking at it! This is certainly a health issue and I am glad you have brought it to the forefront, especially on a blog that people who like the look will be likely to see it.
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