The lead Renovation, Repair, and Painting Rule and
the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, both enacted in 2008, were
intended to protect children from exposure to lead by setting federal limits
on lead content. Neither of these federal actions, however, addresses a newly
recognized pathway of exposure to lead from the use of used consumer
products in the home. In the study described in this article, the authors
purchased 28 used consumer items in the United States in 2004 and analyzed
them for lead content using X-ray fluorescence technology. Nineteen
of the items exceeded the federal standards for lead. The amount of lead in
the items ranged from 745 parts per million (ppm) to 428,525 ppm. The authors'
research shows that such items, which are easily purchased throughout
the U.S., may contain surface lead concentrations in amounts greater
than 700 times current federal limits. This article reveals an ongoing public
health threat involved in exposure to lead that is not addressed by current
laws or regulations. Addressing the risk involved in this threat requires continued
research, public education, and targeted regulatory action.Reprinted with permission from the Journal of Environmental Health, December 2010, (Volume 73, Number 5, pp 8-12), a publication of the National Environmental Health Association, www.neha.org.KEYWORDS: Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008, Lead, United States, Collectibles, Exposure to lead, LRRP, CPSIA, Consumer products, Antiques, Lead Renovation, Repair, and Painting Rul