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FIELD ACTION REPORT: Nancy L. Rothman, Rita J. Lourie, and John Gaughan Lead Awareness: North Philly Style Am J Public Health 2002; 92: 739-741 [Abstract] [Full text] [PDF]

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Paint industry did not stop selling lead paint in 1950

Richard Rabin   (7 June 2002)

Paint industry did not stop selling lead paint in 1950 7 June 2002
Richard Rabin, adminstrator none Send letter to journal: Re: Paint industry did not stop selling lead paint in 1950 rickrabin{at}rcn.com Richard Rabin	A correction to the article, “Lead Awareness: North Philly Style” in the May issue. The paint industry did not stop producing lead-based paint in 1950. For many years prior to that date the industry gradually reduced the sale of lead paint, and in 1955 it endorsed a voluntary standard that called for no more than 1% lead in interior paints.¹ Two points need to be emphasized here: the standard did not apply to exterior paints, and in many instances paint companies violated the standard to which they nominally adhered. For instance, in 1971 the New York City health department analyzed interior paints in retail paint stores, in enforcement of its own 1% regulation, and found lead levels ranging from 2.6% to 10.8%.² 1. American Standards Association, “American Standards Specifications to Minimize Hazards to Children from Residual Surface Coating Materials” (Z66.1-1955), approved 16 February 1955. 2. New York Times, August 4, 1971, p.18. Richard Rabin 8 Sawin St. Arlington, MA 02474