Lead paint

Description

Any paint product containing a lead-based pigment. Lead pigments, such as lead white, red lead, and chrome yellow have been widely used in artists and household paints. However because of their toxicity, their usage dropped significantly. With the production of zinc oxide in 1834, many artists' paints switched to the use of the nontoxic white pigment. Regulation in the United States restricted the use of lead pigments in interior house paints in the 1950s and then prohibited its use in 1978.

Synonyms and Related Terms

lead-based paint; lead based paint; peinture base de plomb (Fr.); pintura a base de plomo (Esp.); tinta de chumbo (Port.)

Hazards and Safety

Toxic by inhalation or ingestion. Skin contact may cause irritation or ulcers. Carcinogen, teratogen, suspected mutagen.

Authority

• Dictionary of Building Preservation, Ward Bucher, ed., John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York City, 1996

• Art and Architecture Thesaurus Online, http://www.getty.edu/research/tools/vocabulary/aat/, J. Paul Getty Trust, Los Angeles, 2000

• Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, at http://www.wikipedia.com Comment: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lead_paint (Accessed Feb. 2, 2006)