dags_lax
02-10-2004, 03:16 PM
I thought I would share this with the forum for those who have young children at home.
Researchers from Phoenix, AZ, report another source of lead exposure--pool cue chalk. They describe two toddlers, ages 28 and 27 months, who had elevated lead concentrations of 35 and 26 ug/dL. Home investigations revealed one child had been seen with pool cue chalk in her mouth, which was found to have over 4000 ppm (mg/kg) lead; the other child held the pool cue chalk for his care giver, and the child was seen to have it in his mouth. A sample contained 7000 ppm lead.
The authors caution that 90% of billiard tables are found in homes, and an entire cube of pool chalk is ground into a fine dust and released into the immediate atmosphere during ordinary use, contaminating the pool table, floor, and surrounding surfaces. Lead may be a component of the chalk, the manufacturing process, or the pigment used for color. To provide some perspective on this hazard, they note that lead-contaminated chalk typically contains 7000 ppm lead, yet residential paint is considered a childhood hazard if the concentration is 5000 ppm, and crayons recently rejected for sale in the U.S. contained 800 ppm.
The authors point out that testing identified certain brand/color combinations as having very low lead levels (Master/red, NTC/green, NTC/red, and Pioneer/blue), and suggest that "because pool cue chalk that is free of significant lead contamination is available, it should preferentially be used, especially when children will be present." (Milller MB et al: Pediatrics, Jun 1996; 97.916-917)
Researchers from Phoenix, AZ, report another source of lead exposure--pool cue chalk. They describe two toddlers, ages 28 and 27 months, who had elevated lead concentrations of 35 and 26 ug/dL. Home investigations revealed one child had been seen with pool cue chalk in her mouth, which was found to have over 4000 ppm (mg/kg) lead; the other child held the pool cue chalk for his care giver, and the child was seen to have it in his mouth. A sample contained 7000 ppm lead.
The authors caution that 90% of billiard tables are found in homes, and an entire cube of pool chalk is ground into a fine dust and released into the immediate atmosphere during ordinary use, contaminating the pool table, floor, and surrounding surfaces. Lead may be a component of the chalk, the manufacturing process, or the pigment used for color. To provide some perspective on this hazard, they note that lead-contaminated chalk typically contains 7000 ppm lead, yet residential paint is considered a childhood hazard if the concentration is 5000 ppm, and crayons recently rejected for sale in the U.S. contained 800 ppm.
The authors point out that testing identified certain brand/color combinations as having very low lead levels (Master/red, NTC/green, NTC/red, and Pioneer/blue), and suggest that "because pool cue chalk that is free of significant lead contamination is available, it should preferentially be used, especially when children will be present." (Milller MB et al: Pediatrics, Jun 1996; 97.916-917)