You can't see it, you can't taste it and you can't smell it
It's highly toxic, it is known to impair mental development and IQ in children and has been linked to illnesses from hypertension to Alzheimer's. And it is lurking in millions of British homes.
It's lead- and experts are warning that its presence in old paint poses a higher risk to the nations health than previously thought.
Although the use of lead in household paint was phased out in Britain in the 1960's and banned in 1992 (its use in petrol was banned in 2000), estimates suggest 75 per cent of homes built before 1980 still contain it. Much of it has been painted over but little has been safely removed. And the risk it poses as it breaks down into dust that is then breathed in has not gone away.
'Lead is the most serious and widespread poison in our environment and can cause major damage to the mental development of children at relatively low levels,' says Prof. Erik Millstone of the Science Policy Research Unit at Sussex University and author of Lead And Public Health (Earthscan, 12.50 pounds).
'The most serious health hazard arises from old leaded paint in homes, schools and workplaces.'
No screening
Millstone estimated in 1997 that one in ten young children was suffering from lead poisoning - defined as level of lead in blood above 10microgrames per decilitre. Eight years on, he sees no reason to revise that figure. There are no official statistics to challenge it and no screening programmes to check wether it is correct.
This is despite a warning from the Government's Health Protection Agency stating:
'Lead poisoning in children may be a bigger public health issue than is currently appreciated and more research needs to be done.' But that research hasn't even been commissioned- a fact that is symptomatic of the lack of concern in official quarters. Even some independent bodies deny there's a problem. According to the Chartered Institute Of Environmental Health, there's nothing to worry about. 'Lead in paint is not a major public health problem,' says a spokesman. 'Lead was taken out in all post-1960 housing stock.'
While the Government doesn't share that level of apathy- it publishes recommendations for dealing with leaded paint on the Department For Environment, Food And Rural Affairs website (www.defra.gov.uk)- its been criticised for a lack of serious activity.
'There is a complete lack of political will to deal with this problem.' says Dr Paula Baillie-Hamilton, an expert on environmental health and author of Stop The 21st Century Killing You (Vermillion, 10.99 pounds). 'The reason is money. It costs up to 1000 pounds a room just to remove the lead paint; taking care of an entire house costs a fortune. But in America they invest a huge amount of public money into this.'
Home improvement
Indeed, US government has rigorous programmes for removal, setting aside hundred of millions of dollars a year to help poor home owners. And when a house is sold or rented, there is a legal obligation on the part of the vendors and landlords to provide purchasers and tenants with government-produced lead hazard leaflet and disclose any knowledge of wether lead-based paint is in the building. The US Environmental Protection Agency also offers a training and certification service for paint removers.
Nothing similar exists in Britain but Defra says it is doing enough.
A spokesman says:'We make plenty of information about lead available. You are never going to reach 100 per cent of people, but we do have active programmes in place.'
'Well, I haven't heard about them,' says Dr Baillie-Hamilton. 'The campaign, if there's been one, hasn't reached me. And the message certainly isn't getting through to ordinary people.'

WORRIED ABOUT LEAD-BASED PAINT?

• Few companies offer lead testing or removal services in Britain. For help go to www.leadtest.co.uk
• Danger areas are friction surfaces such as doors and windows where there is regular grinding and bashing
• Painting over lead-based paint on walls does contain the problem until the paint starts to crack, chip or peel
• Lead dust is too fine to be removed by vacuuming, It needs to be wetted down and removed with a cloth
• Vitamin C reduces the amount of lead you absorb, while vitamin B1 and magnesium help remove lead from the body

Edited by JAMIE WALTERS. health@ukmetro.co.uk