Question from Donna
Hi Debra, I have two questions that go hand in hand.
I’ve been reading a lot lately about lead dust on PVC products, but I’m confused. Does the item (like a toy or window blind) need to be deteriorating to produce lead dust, or can household dust settling on an item (that’s intact) get lead in it?
Also, our house is six years old, and the builder used faux wood doors throughout. They’re made of some kind of plastic, and now I’m worried that they’re PVC but have no way of knowing for sure. They’re hard plastic with a fake wood grain. Are you familiar with these doors? If they are PVC, would you suggest replacing them? We have 24 of these doors!
Again, thank you for all you do!
Donna
Debra’s Answer
I think things get confusing when people with no background understanding try to write about toxics.
Lead dust gets created when an item that is painted with lead paint–such as doors or windows–breaks down the paint into dust through the friction of opening and closing it. PVC products contain lead, but there would be no dust unless the PVC item were cut, such as sawing a PVC pipe or window. Lead CAN be released by touching PVC, but it’s not dust.
The only way to know what type of plastic was used to make your faux wood doors is to contact the manufacturer and ask them. If you can’t find out who the manufacturer is, look for a similar door in a store and ask that manufacturer what their doors are made from. It may or may not be the same. I don’t think it’s PVC.
I can do this kind of research for you as a paid personal consultation. If you have 24 of these doors, you might want to know what they are made from. But if your house is six years old, you probably have other materials that are of greater concern. We can go over all of this in a personal consultation. It’s beyond the scope of a blog answer.
Debra,
Would dust that accumulates on leaded glass (such as a window) be contaminated with lead from the window? I’m wondering if a leaded-glass window we have in our house is putting lead into our air through dust, or if we would only be exposed to the lead by touching the window? If the lead does get into the dust and into our air, how would you suggest cleaning the window? With a wet rag, or with a vacuum with a hepa filter? Thanks!
Yes, dust that accumulates on leaded glass contains lead. What happens is that the lead “chalks” into the environment. This lead dust can then move around the house via touch oand can float in the air. Read more about this at leadsafeamerica.org/leadedglasswindows
I think a wet rag would pick up the dust without possibly putting it into the air. I would wear gloves.