Renovating homes can endanger kids—SFU prof
Bruce Lanphear, SFU Health Sciences, 778.387.3939, bruce_lanphear@sfu.ca
Don MacLachlan, PAMR, 778.782.3929, donmac@sfu.ca
Related links:
CELA report: http://www.cela.ca/newsevents/media-release/healthy-retrofits
Lanphear bio: http://www.fhs.sfu.ca/portal_memberdata/bpl3
Safe Renovations (Canadian Partnership for Children’s Health and Environment): http://www.healthyenvironmentforkids.ca/collections/healthy-retrofits
Renovate Right (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: pdf): http://www.epa.gov/lead/pubs/renovaterightbrochure.pdf
A special warning to parents about the dangers of renovating older homes to make them more “energy efficient” is coming from Bruce Lanphear, a Simon Fraser University expert on toxic pollutants and their impact on kids.
“Owners of old houses could release lead, asbestos and other toxic chemicals when they scrape, burn or chip at lead-based paints and pipes,” says Lanphear. “If you scattered dust from removing old paint, you could actually poison a child."
Lanphear says this could easily happen when eco-conscious people try to make their homes greener and more energy efficient. “Insulating windows, removing doors, drilling into walls or installing heaters; all need to be approached with great care because of the danger of unwittingly releasing toxic chemicals. You could also run into asbestos in insulation, old pipes, ceiling tiles and exterior shingles.
"Housing is the most significant source for lead intake in children," adds Lanphear, an internationally recognized expert in the risks lead pollution poses for children. “There is no safe level of lead exposure. Exposure to lead at a young age can permanently alter their ability to learn or control their behaviors.”
Lanphear was advisor to the Canadian Environmental Law Association (CELA), which issued a new report on the risks of renovation of older homes. At the same time, though, it firmly supported green renovations: "Home energy retrofits tackle climate change and when done right they should make homes healthier, while aiding families struggling with utility bills."
However, the CELA report noted that until 1977, lead was often added to interior paint to make it more brilliant, durable and moisture-resistant. It can be present at exceptionally high levels in paints used before the 1950s. It was also added to outdoor paint until 1992.
As well, CELA added: “Other major health concerns include asbestos, a known carcinogen for which, like lead, there is no safe exposure level. Asbestos was widely used in Canadian homes and buildings from the 1930s until the mid-1980s.”
Lanphear, a physician-researcher and professor in SFU’s Faculty of Health Sciences, says he applauds parents who want to renovate their homes to make them more eco-friendly, and to cut heating bills, greenhouse gases and energy costs.
“But you need to get advice on how to remove old paint safely, for example. It may look like just a little paint dust to you, but a baby crawling on the floor and putting fingers in its mouth could take in very dangerous levels of lead.
“And you need to ensure that if you use a contractor, they know what they’re doing. Canada has no regulations or certification covering this, while the U.S. requires contractors to be lead-safe certified if they are doing renovation, repair or painting in older (pre-1978) homes, child care facilities and schools.”