Lead Remediation

Lead is a naturally occurring metal that is abundant throughout the earth. It has been commonly used for a huge array of products including paint, pipes, ceramics, gasoline, batteries, and more. Lead is a cumulative toxicant. This means that it is distributed throughout the body where it ultimately is stored and accumulates over time, increasing toxicity.

Lead has been commonly used in many different applications throughout history. Some of the most common sources of lead today are:

• Old Paint Dust – Although lead paint was banned in the United States in 1978, lead-based paint is still found in older homes and buildings. When the paint chips, it turns to dust and is inhaled. This is the most common way people are exposed to lead in the US. 
• Contaminated Drinking Water – Lead contamination in drinking water typically comes from lead pipes and plumbing lines that have started to corrode and are leaching lead into the water.  
• Contaminated Soil – Lead contamination in soil can come from multiple sources. Lead-based paint flaking off buildings, car exhaust mixed into soil before lead was eliminated from gasoline, and fumes from metal smelting and battery manufacturing are common sources of soil contamination.

The type of exposure to lead doesn’t matter – inhaled, absorbed, or swallowed – the health effects remain the same and are serious. When exposed, lead is absorbed and stored in the bones, blood, and tissue where it remains as a source of continued exposure. Lead is generally far more dangerous for children than adults causing neurological effects and developmental disorders. 

Short Term Effects

These health problems happen when someone is exposed to very high levels of lead over a short period of time: 

• Abdominal Pain and Constipation
• Headaches
• Fatigue and Irritability
• Loss of Appetite
• Memory Loss 
• Tingling or Painful Extremities 
• Generalized Weakness

There are multiple ways to remediate lead paint, and while it is possible to do it yourself, the dangers surrounding lead exposure are extreme, so it’s best to hire a professional. The following are the most common methods of remediating lead paint:

Encapsulation 

• This is the least complicated and most affordable method of remediation. Encapsulation is the process of covering the lead-based paint with a specially-made coating to create a watertight bond and seal in the paint. This is effective but not the best long-term solution because the encapsulation can wear off with the opening and closing of doors and windows. 

Removal

• This involves removing only the lead-based paint through chemical and mechanical methods such as wire brushing, wet sanding, and paint removers. 

Enclosure

• This involves covering the contaminated surface with a new one, such as putting up new drywall over the old drywall. 

Replacement

• This is the most extreme form of remediation, requiring the complete removal of affected materials and the replacement with brand-new materials. Obviously, this is the most effective and long-term solution, but it’s also the most expensive.