How To Test Your Bathtub For Lead (2023)

FAQs

Does my tub have lead? ›

Bathtubs and sinks are some of the most common sources of lead in the home and are often overlooked because they are not involved in food preparation. The heavy metals begin to leach out of them as they age, and the metals slowly work their way into the body through ingestion, either through food, water or air.

If your tub has lead, you can have it professionally refinished. Be aware that the finish can wear off over time and re-expose the lead. Most advise replacing the tub. If children must use an older tub, place a large plastic bin or container in the tub and fill the container, instead of the tub, with water.

Lead is found in many household items such as household paint, in vinyl miniblinds, and in household dust. And did you know that bathtubs can contain as much as 88% lead in the glaze from the manufacturer?

In a study involving over 1400 bathtubs, approximately 62% of the tubs tested positive for leachable lead with lead check swabs (77% of the cast iron bathtubs and 25% of the steel tubs were positive. 100% of the clawfoot bathtubs we tested had extremely high levels of lead leaching from the surface.)

Short answer: “Yes!” Lead in older bathtubs is a big issue—and yet usually overlooked as a potential source of toxicity for children. Both porcelain and enamel coatings can have extremely high levels of lead – both in the surface coating (glaze) and substrate.

Both phenomena make lead difficult to remove with soap and water. NIOSH-developed hand wipes as a removal method for toxic metals proved to be more effective than soap and water, and were also gentle on the skin and non-abrasive. The NIOSH-developed wipe resulted in 99.8 percent lead removal efficiency.

You should use detergents to remove lead. Other clothing should not be washed with the work clothing. After clothes are washed, the empty machine should be run through the wash cycle to remove any lead dust.

Hand washing with soap and water remains the standard recommendation for workers (as well as the public) to clean skin known or believed to be contaminated with toxic metals, such as lead.

Can I shower in lead-contaminated water? Yes. Bathing and showering should be safe for you and your children, even if the water contains lead over EPA's action level. Human skin does not absorb lead in water.

Rust not only can be unattractive, but it can also be a health hazard as well. Rust, if not properly treated, can expose a person to high levels of lead. This is especially a concern because bathtubs are an item we use every day.

What is safest for a bathtub? ›

Wall mounted seats are the safest, so there is no chance of the seat moving or slipping. Tub seats can be folded up against the back wall when not in use. These tubs seats the lay across the edges of the tub.

Hard water contains high levels of minerals, such as calcium and magnesium. Hard water dries on grout or tile can leave behind white mineral deposits. These deposits can eventually turn black if they are not cleaned regularly.

Cast iron, fiberglass, acrylic, Vikrell

Cast iron tubs with enamel finishes are unlikely to contain lead unless theyare old, were re-finished prior to the lead paint ban or are manufactured in China. (Not allChinese made tubs have lead in them but you should be cautious).

Kohler: Made in the USA, Kohler's enameled steel tubs are a great option because not only are they easy to find in showrooms and in hardware stores, but they do not use any lead in the glazing of their tubs.

Lead poisoning is most commonly associated with old paint and plumbing, but traditional, handmade, and antique ceramics can cause lead poisoning, as well.

Find a strong magnet and hold it against the wall of your bathtub. If it sticks, then your tub is made of steel or cast iron. Unlike metal, acrylic and fiberglass bathtubs are not magnetic.

Lead exposure can cause high blood pressure and brain, kidney and reproductive health issues in adults. Symptoms of lead poisoning include headaches, stomach cramps, constipation, muscle/joint pain, trouble sleeping, fatigue, irritability, and loss of sex drive. Most adults with lead poisoning don't look or feel sick.

Acrylic-lined tubs have a shell of fiberglass. So it's fiberglass on the outside and acrylic on the inside. The toxic element in fiberglass is polyester resin. Polyester resin has a styrene carrier which outgasses VOCs.

Absorption can also happen if you handle items contaminated with lead and then touch your eyes, nose, or mouth. Lead dust on your clothes, shoes, or hair can be hard to notice.

If you encounter leaded soap scum build up, it can be removed with an acid wash. Add 4 cups of white vinegar and run a wash cycle with the largest amount of warm water the machine settings will allow. Then run a rinse cycle.

Can Lysol remove lead? ›

To clean up Lead dust you must use disposable wipes with surfactant-containing detergent. Clorox Wipes or Lysol Wipes or any similar brand have been proven to work well for this.

Do not use bleach. Industrial vacuum with a HEPA filter, known as a HEPA vacuum.

A Water Softener Alone Cannot Remove Lead

A water softener alone is not designed to eliminate lead from a home's water supply. Water softeners reduce the hardness of water by removing things like calcium, magnesium, and iron.

Hot water releases more lead from pipes than cold water. Boiling water does not reduce lead levels and may actually increase them. Test your water. The only way to know if lead has been reduced by letting it run is to check with a test.

Washing skin with soap and water is not sufficient to remove lead residues. To prevent adverse impacts from Pb exposure, exposed individuals need cleaning methods that will effectively remove Pb ions from the skin to less than the limit of identification (i.e., 10 µg or less).

What is this? You need to use a detergent with surfactants to clean up lead dust. Clorox wipes (and similar brands like Lysol) are bleach-free, and have the surfactants necessary to clean up lead dust — and are good to use on non-launderable surfaces.

It is okay for water with lead in it to touch your skin. Just don't drink it! You can still wash your hands and take a bath. Make sure you brush your teeth with the water from a sink with a filter on it.

How do I know if my tap water is contaminated with lead? The only way to know whether your tap water contains lead is to have it tested. You cannot see, taste, or smell lead in water. Therefore, you must ask your water provider whether your water has lead in it.

Lead in water cannot be detected by sight, taste, or smell. Even the commonly observed subtle metallic taste shouldn't be attributed to lead in water. It's instead most likely caused by either lower pH levels (acidic water) or an excess of trace minerals due to rusty municipal or residential pipelines.

Lead poisoning usually takes months or years of exposure to a small amount of lead at home, work or daycare. When exposed to large amounts of lead, it can quickly lead to lead poisoning (acute poisoning). Lead poisoning usually happens due to prolonged exposure at home, work or daycare.

Does rust come off with soap and water? ›

Minor Rust Stains

Start by cleaning the surface with soap and water, no matter what level of rust stain you have. This will wash away surface-level grease or dirt that could prevent the acids from effectively removing the stain. Simple dish soap should do the trick.

To tackle items with significant corrosion, submerge your rusty tools or knives in a bowl of white vinegar and let them sit overnight or as long as 24 hours. Once they have had a good soak, remove them from the vinegar and scrub the rust off with steel wool, a scouring pad, or a wire brush.

Health Effects

At high enough levels, it can stop breathing. Methylene chloride exposure may cause dizziness, fatigue, headaches, nausea, a “feeling of intoxication,” and eye, nose, and throat irritation. Prolonged skin contact may cause irritation and even chemical burns.

On the whole, a bath should last no longer than 30 minutes on the high end. The normal average is anywhere between 15-30 minutes, with prolonged exposure causing severe dry skin which leads to agitation, irritation and promotes bacteria growth, which carries a multitude of health risks.

What Is the Lifespan of a Bathtub? Bathtubs typically last 10-30 years, depending on the material used. Modern, low-cost acrylic and fiberglass tubs will survive for 10-15 years. Although a porcelain-enameled cast-iron tub will survive far longer, it will need to be refinished every 5-15 years.

Reddish-brown stains: These types of stains are usually caused by dissolved iron in your water. Once this iron is exposed to oxygen, it forms iron oxide, which gives it the reddish-brown color.

Black mold is typically dark in color, but less mature specimens can take on a gray or dark green hue (there may even be white flecks or shades of orange). The surface of the mold can be smooth or have a slightly furry texture. Dark stains tend to appear in moist areas or those that have been flooded or water damaged.

Most instances of brown shower water are caused by iron and sediment deposits. of iron, you may notice that your toilets, sinks and clothes develop brown, rust-like stains.

That is the tub drain overflow plate, though it's actually above the drain, not the faucet. (The opening in this plate leads to a tube that prevents the tub from overflowing by allowing water to run out even if the drain in the bottom of the tub is stopped.)

Are fiberglass tubs OK? ›

Both acrylic and fiberglass are great options for tubs. If you want something more flexible, then gelcoat or fiberglass is the better option. Since most tubs include fiberglass in the final product, fiberglass is one of the most important materials in tub sustainability.

Cast iron tubs are the tub of choice for many people. New cast iron tubs, especially if made in the US, Canada, and Europe should not contain lead.

Porcelain Enamel

Some people have worried about lead in the enamel cookware, since the enamel coating is often made of clay, which can leach lead. For peace of mind, we got this lead test kit and tested the Le Creuset cookware in two of our homes. No lead was detected.

Some faucet manufactures produce plastic faucets that have virtually zero lead. Other manufactures are substituting other metals for the lead in the brass, inserting copper tubes inside the brass faucets, or applying special coatings on the inside of the faucets in order to minimize or eliminate lead leaching.

Test the pottery. Consumers can buy lead-testing kits in hardware stores or online. The kits contain swabs with instructions on proper use of the swabs and reading of the results. In most cases, the consumer will rub the swab on the food-contacting surface of the pottery.

The only way to determine if certain crockery has lead is to test it. Home test kits can tell you if the dishes have leachable lead. These tests are most useful in detecting high levels of lead.

Since 1971, the Food and Drug Administration established and began enforcing limits on leachable lead in ceramics and tableware. If you purchased your dishes after that and they are made in the USA, they are safe to use.

Cast iron, fiberglass, acrylic, Vikrell

Cast iron tubs with enamel finishes are unlikely to contain lead unless theyare old, were re-finished prior to the lead paint ban or are manufactured in China. (Not allChinese made tubs have lead in them but you should be cautious).

The only way to know whether your tap water contains lead is to have it tested. You cannot see, taste, or smell lead in water. Therefore, you must ask your water provider whether your water has lead in it.

Find a strong magnet and hold it against the wall of your bathtub. If it sticks, then your tub is made of steel or cast iron. Unlike metal, acrylic and fiberglass bathtubs are not magnetic.

Are acrylic bathtubs safe? ›

Technically speaking, yes, there are chemicals in acrylic tubs, but these chemicals aren't harmful and are only chemicals in the scientific sense of the word. Acrylic bathtubs are perfectly safe and have no adverse health effects.

Both fiberglass and acrylic are somewhat toxic to make and repair but have low toxic health impacts once in use (at least as bathtubs). To find out whether your tub is fiberglass or acrylic, research the company that made it. A contractor should also be able to tell you.

Bathing and showering should be safe for you and your children because human skin does not absorb lead in water.

Get cleaner, better-tasting water right from your tap.

This table lists all the contaminants our filters are certified to reduce including chlorine, lead and copper for great-tasting water.

Wet chemical testing (i.e., rhodizonate swabs) and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) are the only available alternatives for verifying the presence of lead in the field. Paint sampling provides the most definitive and quantitative approach to determining if lead is present but it requires laboratory analysis.

“There absolutely has to be at least one bathtub in any condo or home. When you sell, you're also selling a lifestyle and having no tub will hinder a sale to most buyers,” she says. Research backs up the anecdotal evidence.

Unlike the plain molded fiberglass tubs popular today, some of the earliest bathtubs were intricately carved wooden cabinets lined with tin or copper. Next came more sanitary materials, like vitreous china, glazed earthenware, and porcelain-coated cast iron.