Lead: what is it?
Lead is a metal naturally present in the Earth’s crust, and has long been used for various industrial applications.
Lead: where is it found?
There is lead in the air, in dust, in soil, in food, and in drinking water. It is also found in various consumer items and construction materials; for example, pipes and paint in older homes.
1. Paint
Most interior and exterior paints used before 1960 contained high concentrations of lead. If you live in a fairly old building or house, old paint on walls, ceilings, mouldings, doors and so on may be cause for concern.
Between 1960 and 1990, lead continued to be used in outdoor paint. The lead content of indoor paint has been significantly reduced, but not enough to eliminate all possible danger, especially to children.
Since the 1990s, consumer paint manufactured in North America has contained virtually no lead.
2. Pipes
Drinking water found in nature contains trace amounts of lead. When this is considered in addition to the lead present in some water service connections, notably those in older homes and buildings, the national standard of 0.01mg of lead per litre of drinking water may be exceeded.
Lead service connections can be found in:
buildings in Quebec dating from before 1955;
buildings in Montreal from before 1968); and
buildings in the Laurentians constructed before 1972.
You can identify lead pipes as follows:
They are a dull grey colour, and scratching them leaves a shiny mark;
They don’t ring when tapped with a metal object;
They are not magnetic.
Good to know
The lead-tin alloys in solder used to weld copper pipe before the 1990 and in taps made before 2014 may also have a lead content that exceeds the limit of 0.2% currently in force in Canada.
How can lead affect my health?
The health effects of lead depend on the amount absorbed into the body and on the individual. Everyone is exposed to small quantities of lead in the air as well as in soil, food, drinking water, and dust. An adult excretes 90% of lead ingested, but a young child will eliminate only 50%. For this reason, small quantities of lead can be cause for concern when it comes to the safety of fetuses, newborns, and young children.
Short-term exposure to high levels of lead can cause vomiting, diarrhea, convulsions, coma, and even death.
The symptoms of long-term exposure to smaller amounts of the element are less visible, but still quite serious: anemia, headaches, loss of appetite, abdominal pain, constipation, insomnia, tiredness, and irritability. Damage to the nervous system is another possible effect, and this can result in intellectual disabilities.
Good to know
In Canada, cases of severe lead poisoning are rare. Recognized cases involve young children ingesting paint flakes containing lead.
The concentration of lead in a person’s body can be measured by a simple blood test.
What should I do about lead?
1. Paint
If you suspect that some surfaces in your home are covered in lead-based paint, here are your options:
Apply several coats of non-leaded fresh paint over the old paint to trap the lead;
Block access to contaminated walls by covering them with panelling;
Remove and replace the surfaces to eliminate the lead entirely. This operation will release lead-contaminated dust into the air, so it’s best to wear a mask with a HEPA filter). Children and expectant mothers must stay well away from the work area. Hiring a contractor specialized in decontamination is the best option.
2. Pipes
Do you have reason to believe your service connection, pipe welds or other fittings in your home contain lead? First, check with your municipality whether there are any lead service connections in your neighbourhood. To be absolutely sure, of course, you can have your tap water analyzed by a certified laboratory.
If test comes back positive, you won’t need to change all your plumbing. But you will have to adopt certain practices as part of your routine, to reduce the lead content in your drinking water and maintain your health:
Let tap water run for a while, until it feels cold, before drinking it, especially if it has been standing in the pipes for several hours (e.g., overnight, or while you were at work);
Hot water from the tap contains higher concentrations of lead, so always use cold water for cooking and preparing baby formula or any other drink;
Periodically remove debris that accumulates in faucet aerators.
Pregnant women and young children: be extra careful!
The precautions listed above are not sufficient for pregnant women and children under six: they should be drinking from a faucet equipped with a filter certified for lead reduction, or drinking bottled water. Bottled water can also contain lead, so check the label!
Where can I learn more about lead?
City of Montreal: Problématique du plomb (in French)
Do you need personalized advice on your home?
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