Letter to the Editor Re: Andrew Turner, Emily R. Kearl, Kevin R. Solman Lead and other toxic metals in playground paints from South West England Science of the Total Environment 544 (2016) 460-466.
Turner's paper emphasizes "oral bioaccessibility" instead of focusing solely on total lead content. There is no evidence that solubility testing for lead levels in paint correlates with absorption or blood lead levels in exposed children. There are many considerations in determining exposure hazards to paint that are not evaluated in assessing solubility. Although we strongly support the conclusions and recommendations of the study, we are concerned that by reporting "oral bioaccessibility" others will focus on solubility in developing regulatory standards for lead levels in paint or in conducting exposure assessments. Standards for lead in paint should continue to be based on total lead content, not "oral bioaccessibility."
Occupational Knowledge International, 4444 Geary Boulevard, Suite 208, San Francisco, CA 94118, USA. Electronic address: pgottesfeld@okinternational.org.
Perry
P
Gottesfeld
National Center for Healthy Housing, USA.
David E
DE
Jacobs
D004739:England; D004777:Environment; D000075322:Heavy Metal Poisoning; D006801:Humans; D007854:Lead / Q000032:analysis*; D010150:Paint
D007854:Lead
Bioaccessibility; Lead; Lead chromate; Lead paint