Does Lead Dust Come From Paint On The Walls, Or From Candles In The House? The National Multi-Housing Council is continuing its effort to convince the public, the courts and maybe even the Environmental Protection Agency that lead dust can come from a lot of different sources and that maybe the EPA needs to lighten up a bit on some of its lead-based paint regulations. The NMHC, comprised of companies that are the largest owners of apartment and condo developments in the nation, currently is asking the Consumer Product Safety Commission to consider new research suggesting that ordinary household candles often have wicks that contain lead. Burning those candles, says NMHC, not only out-gasses lead particles into the air - but those particles also ultimately settle out as dust on walls and floors. The NMHC worries that lead-dust from candles may actually be mistaken by testing devices as lead-based paint. Under federal regulations, once a property is identified as a lead-based paint hazard, property owners must act to abate the hazard. Abatement can cost tens of thousands of dollars. According to the condo and apartment building owners, "Scientific analyses indicate that candles manufactured in the United States and China often contain wicks that have lead cores and when these candles are burned, a significant amount of lead is released into the air resulting in the deposit of potentially toxic levels of lead throughout the residential environment." It goes on to note that, "According to one academic study, under conditions of normal use, these candles can increase the airborne lead level more than 30 times that considered safe by the EPA. Not only is the aerosolized lead likely to pose a significant poisoning potential for children, but the lead particles which will ultimately settle out as house dust pose a second source of exposure." The landlords are asking the CPSC to ban the candles. Under laws passed in 1995, homeowners and real estate agents are required to disclose to potential buyers that any home built prior to 1975 could contain lead-based paint. Lead poisoning in young children, often attributed to ingesting lead dust that comes up from carpets or paint chips from walls, is believed to be a leading cause of a raft of childhood ailments, including mental retardation and kidney and liver disease. The NMHC, however, argues that cases of lead-poisoning were in steep decline long before the EPA's mandated disclosure, and that the EPA needs to look at the possibility that lead poisoning may be coming from other sources. In 1995 the EPA published guidance that certain levels of lead in house dust are considered to be "lead hazards." The NMHC is worried that apartment owners who are required to test their properties for lead-containing dust (including those owners who receive federal assistance or who have their properties tested for lead) may find that use of lead-wicked candles has created a "lead-based paint hazard." | 
