Lead exposure from old bathtub - refinishing?

Hullo,

We have recently (2 months ago) moved into a 100-year-old house. Last week my 3-year-old was diagnosed for elevated lead levels in her blood.

I performed a lead-check test on our old, pitted and coarse, claw-tool tub, and sure enough there is definitely lead present at the surface of the tub.

Question is: what kind of refinishing/reglazing options do I have have which will safely encapsulate the lead, and give me a nice durable finish?

Seems like there are several spray-on/brush-on products, but is there another level of refinishing quality above that?

TAI!

Reply to
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First, are you sure the lead you picked up is actually from the tub; or could it be from the water that went into the tub?

In a home that old, it is likely that at some time, maybe even now, the plumbing was such that it would have allowed lead to leach into the water. Pipes, fittings and solder all have contained lead. Over many years lead could have built up on the surface. Maybe just a very good cleaning is what is called for.

I am assuming you have tested all the water very carefully, including the water from that tub?

As for your question, the answer is yes. The better products are only available with professional application, often in your home.

Reply to
Joseph Meehan

She drinks from the tub?? Sorry. It's just that there must be more severe contaminant sources than the tub.

Second, would medical authorities expect elevated lead levels to have occurred in only 7 weeks?? I don't know; I'm asking a serious question.

What were the lead levels in the drinking water in the previous residence? What about the new one?

100 years ago, lead service lines from curb to house were common; many are still in use today. That's not necessarily bad, but the danger would seem to outweigh the tub.

You can get the tub sprayed with epoxy-like finsihes which are "fairly" durable if you take good care of them; thy're not as tough as porcelain finish though. How about a brand new tub with no lead?

Jim

Reply to
Speedy Jim

lead pipes? unless she's licking the tub, there isn't much, if any, lead absorbed through the skin from bath water.

Reply to
Charles Spitzer

Not to mention lead paint.. almost certainly a problem in a 100 year old house. I agree with the other guy who said look for other causes, and also am surprised that the child would exhibit signs of elevated lead levels in as little as two months from household causes.

Also, following Washington DC's national debacle about the lead in the public water supply, many other municipalities seem to suddenly be noticing (or stop concealing) the high lead levels found in many parts of their water systems. Where did you live before? This could be a result of drinking water from your former and/or current residence. Definitely test your tap water. Lead in water can even be a problem even if you drink Evain most of the time, if you cook with the tap water (e.g. rice, pasta, soup, anything that may absorb or use tap water).

Reply to
J T

On Mon, 11 Oct 2004 14:57:37 -0400, "J T" scribbled this interesting note:

Hence the possible need for a whole house water filter...

-- John Willis (Remove the Primes before e-mailing me)

Reply to
John Willis

The bathtub would be low on my list of suspects, but I certainly am not an expert. What led to the diagnosis? Child symptomatic? The most common way for small children to be exposed to lead poisoning is chewing on stuff painted with lead paint - windowsill, old crib with lead paint, home-made toy, breathing dust after lead paint has been sanded. Sanding lead paint can permeate the home with dust - bedding, carpet, drapes, clothing, etc. Also need, perhaps, to consider other locales, such as friends homes or daycare. Does your health department get involved?

Reply to
Norminn

The more likely vector would be touching the tub, then putting her hand in her mouth. So far, with the quick tests I've done so far, the tub is the only obvious source of lead. Water tests are pending, as are dust tests, etc.

The lab tech who called with results didn't know this, nor have I found other information about the uptake time constant. The tech's suggested retest time interval is 3-6 months, which suggests a longer time constant, but then, I've learned to independently verify everything I'm told by medical people. The child's lead levels at the old residence were always below the concern threshold.

[snip]

If it can be done safely, we'd like to keep the tub - it is rather beautiful, and it would be hard to find an affordable replacement.

Reply to
Jo User

What does something like that run? Certainly must be cheaper than replacing the water main. Of course if the water pressure is so low that a new main would be nice anyway....

Reply to
Jo User

Do a GOOGLE for: bathtub + refinishing Loads of tech info and tips on not getting ripped off. Plan to have the family out of the house as the fumes are hazardous. Jim

Reply to
Speedy Jim

I think you are jumping to conclusions. Some groups of people are subject to pica (eating dirt), is your child one? The reason I ask, is that it is extremely unlike that the child got leaded by having baths. Here are the possibilities that you need to consider for the source of the lead in decreasing order of likelyhood: 1. previously dwelling, 2. paint chips that the child eats, 3. cookware, especially crockery, 4. household plumbing, 5. domestic water source (well, municipal, private). You should immediately monitor the food and everything that the child put in his/her mouth and provide a good driking source such as a britta or other filter water.

Lastly, why would you test your child for lead? and was this done at a regular doctors office? I agree with another responder that it is highly unlikely that the child has had a singificant increase in lead levels in two months. You need to question the doctors and get test done by a different lab.

As for the tub, any good paint will encapsulate the lead. You could paint it with a high quality water based enamel, an oil based enamel or whatever but it might not last for more than an year before starting to flake off. You need a good two part epoxy paint for it to last a long time.

Good luck.

Reply to
George E. Cawthon

You don't need a whole house filter, all you need to do is filter drinking water and the water that is used to prepare foods. Simple systems are available with a 2-3 quart container that holds a filter for about $25. Extra filters are about $5 a piece and last the average 3-4 person household 2-3months.

I still wonder, what reason you have to ever test your child for lead?

Reply to
George E. Cawthon

I was under the impression that inhaled lead (paint dust from sanding) is absorbed at about 90% efficiency whereas ingested lead is WAY less effective.

A few weeks to get elevated levels seems pretty quick. I'd look for other sources of contamination & I'd get the blood tests redone.

Seems like the bath tub (paint's on the outside? porcelein on the inside?) would not be the source.......

keep us posted

Reply to
Bob K 207

Among other criteria, anyone who lives in a house that might have lead paint should have young children tested. Lead paint was used on most houses, inside and out, until the 1950s, and it wasn't prohibited until the 1970s.

See

Anne

Reply to
Anne

You might want to have your water checked as well. The lead on the tub surface could be contributed to by lead in the water.

My wife and I just moved into a 100 year old house also, and there are lots of other places where lead can be lurking. Paint is the most common one. Old mini-blinds can deteriorate in uv light and release lead dust. Soil can be contaminated from deteriorating house paint, or from old gas.

So, you might want to have a lead risk assessment done. (You'll find out all the problem areas and what can be done about it)

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Reply to
Hallow

You don't need a whole house filter as previously noted.. but I'd recommend something more convenient than a brita for cooking. Our fridge has a built-in filter, as do most fridges with TTD ice, which is fine for my personal cooking use. It can take a long time to fill a big pot for pasta, though. If you have an older fridge with an automatic icemaker or water dispenser, get an inline filter from HD for about 25 bucks that you can install on the copper icemaker feed with very little effort.

In the $200 price range you can get an under-counter reverse-osmosis system that gives better flow (because it has a holding tank) and also provides the best filtration generally available for a consumer device. The inline charcoal filters are pretty good, but might choke on very high lead levels.

In any event you should get your water tested and find out how big a problem you have. Kits are available at HD type places, or your water company may do one for free. If it's over 150 ppb, then a regular filter may not be enough. I would test before & after filter installation, and periodically thereafter if your lead levels were very high.

Reply to
Jamie

No, not actually. The tub is one of several things which we are looking at, and, to-date, the ONLY one with obvious lead present and accessible. Therefore, I will address it while I pursue, in parallel, other avenues.

Having baths wouldn't be the problem. But touching the bathrub, and then putting hands in mouth would be. In any case, even if the tub isn't the primary source of lead, it is A tested source of lead, so I'm fixing it.

Yes, we are doing all these things, too. 3,4 are probably not the problem. Test for 5 is pending. 1 is less likely, since previous tests while living at the old residence were negative. 2 is harder to evaluate.

It is actually a very standard test done by the doctor, and is mandated by law in some localities, especially where the housing stock is older.

Again, I'm definitely not being confrontational, but what do you base this assertion on? Do you know what the uptake or elimination time is for lead? I infer that it is near 3 months, based on the recommended retesting interval for affected children. So, there will likely be an observable effect after 2 months, and in fact, the levels will possibly go up before they go down again, even if all lead sources are removed now. In any case, retests are scheduled, as are tests of the other kids.

OK, thanks.

Reply to
Jo User

On Tue, 12 Oct 2004 03:32:43 GMT, "George E. Cawthon" scribbled this interesting note:

It is a fact that many substances are readily absorbed through the skin.

A whole house filter also prolongs the life of the water heater as well as the life of all the rubber that water comes into contact with (inside the toilet, rubber washers in faucets, etc.)

Now I don't know how lead is absorbed or if it is even a problem in the original poster's water supply, but I do know that a whole house filter will affect far more than just his wallet. I've been considering installing one in our home because I just don't trust the municipal water (and besides, it tastes bad in the summer due to algae bloom in the local lakes the water is drawn from!:~)

-- John Willis (Remove the Primes before e-mailing me)

Reply to
John Willis

On 13 Oct 2004 08:30:02 -0700, snipped-for-privacy@eml.cc (Jo User) scribbled this interesting note:

You can get a 2-part epoxy paint kit at Home Depot for tubs and sinks. If you are handy with a small sander and can use some Bondo and have a large enough compressor and most any kind of paint sprayer you can do the job yourself (hint: remember to mask off everything you don't want overspray on in the room and you might want to make other sleeping quarters available for a day or two until the worst of the fumes subside!:~)

-- John Willis (Remove the Primes before e-mailing me)

Reply to
John Willis

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