United States house dust Pb concentrations are influenced by soil, paint, and house age: insights from a national survey

Tyler D Sowers; Clay M Nelson; Matthew D Blackmon; Kevin Li; Marissa L Jerden; Alicia M Kirby; Kasey Kovalcik; David Cox; Gary Dewalt; Warren Friedman; Eugene A Pinzer; Peter J Ashley; Karen D Bradham

doi:10.1038/s41370-024-00655-0

United States house dust Pb concentrations are influenced by soil, paint, and house age: insights from a national survey

J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol. 2024 Mar 28. doi: 10.1038/s41370-024-00655-0. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Center of Environmental Measurement and Modeling, Office of Research and Development, US Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC, 27711, USA. sowers.tyler@epa.gov.
² BioGeoChem Scientific, Austin, TX, 78748, USA.
³ Center of Environmental Measurement and Modeling, Office of Research and Development, US Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC, 27711, USA.
⁴ Independent Researcher, Lansing, MI, 48915, USA.
⁵ Jacobs Technology, Inc., 109 T.W. Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC, 27711, USA.
⁶ Oak Ridge Associated Universities, Oak Ridge, TN, 37830, USA.
⁷ QuanTech, 6110 Executive Blvd Suite 206, Rockville, MD, 20852, USA.
⁸ Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Washington, DC, 20410, USA.

PMID: 38548929
DOI: 10.1038/s41370-024-00655-0

Abstract

Background: Lead (Pb) in house dust contributes significantly to blood lead levels (BLLs) in children which may result in dire health consequences. Assessment of house dust Pb in the United States, relationships with Pb in soil and paint, and residential factors influencing Pb concentrations are essential to probing drivers of house dust Pb exposure.

Objective: Pb concentrations in vacuum-collected house dust are characterized across 346 homes participating in the American Health Homes Survey II (AHHS II), a US survey (2018-2019) evaluating residential Pb hazards. Connections between house dust Pb and soil Pb, paint Pb, and other residential factors are evaluated, and dust Pb concentration data are compared to paired loading data to understand Pb hazard standard implications.

Results: Mean and median vacuum dust Pb concentrations were 124 µg Pb g^-1 and 34 µg Pb g^-1, respectively. Vacuum-collected dust concentrations and dust wipe Pb loading rates were significantly correlated within homes (α < 0.001; r ≥ 0.4). At least one wipe sample exceeded current house dust Pb loading hazard standards (10 µg ft^-2 or 100 µg Pb ft^-2 for floors and windowsills, respectively) in 75 of 346 homes (22%). House dust Pb concentrations were correlated with soil Pb (r = 0.64) and Pb paint (r = 0.57). Soil Pb and paint Pb were also correlated (r = 0.6).

Impact: The AHHS II provides a window into the current state of Pb in and around residences. We evaluated the relationship between house dust Pb concentrations and two common residential Pb sources: soil and Pb-based paint. Here, we identify relationships between Pb concentrations from vacuum-collected dust and paired Pb wipe loading data, enabling dust Pb concentrations to be evaluated in the context of hazard standards. This relationship, along with direct ties to Pb in soil and interior/exterior paint, provides a comprehensive assessment of dust Pb for US homes, crucial for formulating effective strategies to mitigate Pb exposure risks in households.

Keywords: House dust; Lead; Lead dust; Lead poisoning; Paint; Soil.