www.charlesjeromeware.com " Here to make a Difference."
Attorney Charles Jerome Ware is recognized and rated by his many satisfied landlord clients as well as his legal peers as one of the top defense lawyers in the United States for lead paint and lead poisoning cases. For an initial courtesy consultation, contact him at (410) 720-6129.
It is important to remember that lead paint is only toxic when it is ingested or inhaled into the human body. "Uninterrupted" lead paint (i.e., not chipped, not cracked, not in dust form, etc.) is considered not harmful to the body The lead in the paint must be ingested or inhaled into the human body in order for it to be toxic or harmful to the body.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has found building age to be a stronger statistical predictor of soil lead content, with soil around private homes built before 1940 having significantly higher levels of lead in soil than homes built between 1960 and 1979. While the use of paint in residential buildings was Federally banned in the United States in 1978, many homes built prior to 1978 still contain lead-based paint.
Paint used in homes built between 1050 and 1978 contained between 0.5 and 50 percent lead, and the paint used prior to 1950 contained higher concentrations. One estimate is that more than 3 million tons of lead-based paint remain in the 57 million homes built prior to 1980 in the United States.
Since a large portion of this lead-based paint covers building exteriors, it continues to be a significant source of soil contamination. Lead-based paint contaminates soil as the paint film weathers and reaches the soil in the form of chips and dust. Renovating, remodeling, and performing routine home maintenance will also mobilize this lead (Pb) if proper precautions are not taken. As the paint on a building's exterior deteriorates, lead paint chips and dust concentrate in the surrounding soil.
Dry scraping, sanding, and blasting of lead-based paint can mobilize large amounts of lead in a short time and significantly increase lead concentrations in soil. Lead concentrations in soil are typically highest in the drip zone, dripline, the area surrounding and extending out about 3 feet from the perimeter of a building.
[ And see, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, "Distribution of Soil Lead in the Nation's Housing Stock", 1996]
No comments:
Post a Comment