I watched an old episode of Last Week Tonight that I must have missed at the time it first came out. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUizvEjR-0U Question is - when was lead paint removed from SA shelves? I live in a ± 50 year old house. I don’t think the shower was used too often before we moved in, so it was not a problem before. But now, it gets to be used daily, and for the last few years, the ceiling is peeling paint. One will have to thoroughly sand it down (all that dust!) or replace it (all that dust that accumulated for 50 years on the top!) before painting with steam resistant paint. Are we, my family and me, slowly being poisoned? Maybe that explains my slow thought process.
I actually have no idea… considering that we only started phasing out leaded petrol, that was burned straight into the air we breathe, in the 90s… and I think totally banned it for cars in the naughties… I’d think that paint probably contains lead. I also think it would be the least of your worries. I would still have it sorted sooner rather than later. Will probably prevent fungi settling in the ceiling anyway, the spores of which can be a considerable health hazard itself.
What nobody seems to be aware of or even mention: Light airplanes still burn leaded fuel today. The most common general aviation fuel in use right now is 100LL (100 octane “low lead” - about ½ the lead of leaded fuel). Said link explains they’re still making engines that can only run on 100LL today, so the end is not even nearly in sight. Doesn’t that just make you sleep well?
Shit. It appears to be still out there. Maybe your houses are also painted with it. Here they try their best to move the blame but it seems to be everywhere. https://www.sapma.org.za/BlogLeadPaint/Truth