In our recent Press Release, it was reported that in a recent article in Reuters, it was reported that “Privatizing U.S. military housing was supposed to protect service members’ families. Unfortunately, instead, some of their children are being poisoned by lead. A Reuters investigation unearths dangers in base homes, lapses in military oversight. After his son was poisoned, a decorated colonel pushed the Army to ensure other children were not harmed in military housing.”

The article continued to say that after Army Colonel J. Cale Brown’s son was diagnosed with lead poisoning, contractors ordered their home they rented to be tested for lead. The results: “At least 113 spots in the home had lead paint, including several peeling or crumbling patches, requiring $26,150 in lead abatement. “

Business Insider reported on August 24, 2018 that "Eight US senators are pushing for a federal review of the military's plans to protect children from exposure to lead, citing a Reuters report on lead poisoning in military housing. In an amendment filed this week to a defense funding bill, the senators, including senior members of the Senate Armed Services and Veterans' Affairs committees, are asking the Government Accountability Office to examine the military's handling of lead poisoning risks nationwide. Most military family housing has been privatized and is operated by corporations in partnership with the branches of the armed services."

Solution:

ECOBOND® Paint LLC is leading an initiative to increase awareness of this issue and help protect military families and children negatively impacted by the dangers of lead paint. Outreach efforts have been initiated with the leading private military housing management companies to offer banding together to solve the pressing problem of lead paint poisoning in military housing. These Protection Partners will be taking an active role in eradicating the danger of potential lead poisoning threats in military housing.

James M. Barthel, creator of ECOBOND® Lead Defender® commented, “We are highly concerned about this nationwide problem of lead paint in military housing. We are pleased to be at the forefront of the battle against lead poisoning with caring Protection Partners that are the leaders in real estate and property management for military housing. Our Lead Defender formula includes Bitrex®, a bitter-tasting additive to discourage oral contact which creates an added safety barrier to further protect children from lead poisoning by reducing the amount of paint chips or dust a child may ingest.” Barthel continued.

ECOBOND® is the premier provider of environmental products focused on protecting human health from the dangers of lead. The patented Paint-it-on Leave-it-on® formula is different than encapsulants and abatement because it is a lead-based paint treatment providing an easy and affordable solution to this devastating national health crisis. As reported in the Reuters story, abatement can be extremely expensive. According to the EPA, professional lead-based paint removal for the following three options costs about $8 to $15 per square foot or about $9,600 to $30,000 for a 1,200- to 2,000-sq. ft. house. ECOBOND® Lead Defender® comes in at .25/sq. ft or about $300-$500 for the same 1,200- to 2,000-sq. ft. house.

Barthel continued, “We want our U.S. Military, which exists to serve the American people, and to defend the Nation, to enjoy peace of mind from their family being negatively impacted by the dangers of lead paint in their military housing. This will be accomplished with our patented lead paint treatment, ECOBOND® Lead Defender®.”

In a recent article in Reuters, it was reported that “Privatizing U.S. military housing was supposed to protect service members’ families. Instead, some of their children are being poisoned by lead. A Reuters investigation unearths dangers in base homes, lapses in military oversight, and a code of silence keeping families at risk. After his son was poisoned, a decorated colonel pushed the Army to ensure other children were not harmed in military housing.”

The article continued to say that after Army Colonel J. Cale Brown’s son was diagnosed with lead poisoning, contractors ordered their home they rented to be tested for lead. The results: “At least 113 spots in the home had lead paint, including several peeling or crumbling patches, requiring $26,150 in lead abatement. Villages of Benning moved the Browns into another old house.”

James M. Barthel, creator of ECOBOND® Lead Defender® commented, “our hearts are burdened when we hear about cases like this. All human life is important, but it feels so much more alarming when children are involved because as a father and grandfather, I can only imagine what these parents are going through.”

“Our Lead Defender formula includes Bitrex®, a bitter-tasting additive to discourage oral contact which creates an added safety barrier to further protect children from lead poisoning by reducing the amount of paint chips or dust a child may ingest.” Barthel continued.

ECOBOND® is the premier provider of environmental products focused on protecting human health from the dangers of lead. The patented Paint-it-on Leave-it-on® formula is different than encapsulants and abatement because it is a lead-based paint treatment providing an easy and affordable solution to this devastating national health crisis. As reported in the Reuters story, abatement can be extremely expensive. According to the EPA, professional lead-based paint removal for the following three options costs about $8 to $15 per square foot or about $9,600 to $30,000 for a 1,200- to 2,000-sq. ft. house.
ECOBOND® Lead Defender® comes in at .25/sq. ft or about $300-$500 for the same 1,200- to 2,000-sq. ft. house.

Barthel continued, “We want our U.S. Military which exists to serve the American people, and to defend the Nation, to enjoy peace of mind from their family being negatively impacted by the dangers of lead paint in their military housing. We are responding to this widespread documented crisis where Reuters reported that private contractors house some 700,000 Americans at more than 100 military installations nationwide, including an estimated 100,000 children ages 0 through 5.
Fort Benning alone is home to some 2,000 small children. Of its 4,001 family homes, 2,274 ‘have lead-based paint present in them,” according to a Villages of Benning memo from November 2017.’”

Barthel announced that, “ECOBOND® Paint, is ready to donate to the U.S. Army a supply of our patented lead paint treatment, ECOBOND® Lead Defender®. We are standing at the ready to come to the rescue of these military families and children negatively impacted by the dangers of lead paint.”

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), acid rain is "any form of precipitation with acidic components, such as sulfuric or nitric acid that fall to the ground from the atmosphere in wet or dry forms."  That includes rain and snow but also things like fog and even dust. Here are some considerations for Exterior Lead Paint Treatment Related to Acid Rain Deposition and Interior Lead Paint Treatment Related to Mold-Mildew Resistance.

Mold, mildew, algae, and fungus are known as "biological pollutants" because they are living structures that can cause health problems. They are considered "microbiological" because they are tiny. Both mold and mildew are invisible to the naked eye until there is enough growth for them to be seen. Mold spores, which easily grow into mold, float through the air; they are everywhere! Mold spores are also invisible.

Acid rain, sometimes referred to as "acid deposition", can accelerate structural damage such as weathering (damage resulting from exposure to the elements), rust, and surface erosion. This deterioration encourages the growth of mold and mildew because it creates the perfect environment; a moist, protected place for mold spores to land and grow. External damage can also result in leaks. Once spore-laden moisture enters a structure; serious indoor mold problems can develop.

ECOBOND ® products resist acid rain leaching up to 99% - EPA Method 1312

Did you know?  You can have a mold/mildew problem and not see mold. If you have a hidden leak, mold may grow where you cannot see it. Additionally, visible mold is only the tip of the iceberg. Mold structures can grow deep beneath surfaces. This is why drywall is removed during mold clean-up.

Biologic pollutants such as mold can cause significant health issues and major structural problems. Avoiding them is easier and far less costly than cleaning them up. Simply applying protective, resistant coatings before there is an issue can help to prevent both external degradation and internal contamination. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends the use of mold inhibitors as a mold-preventive measure.

Resistance can be as easy as a coat of paint! Try ECOBOND® Lead Defender® and Lead Defender Pro®. These coatings are specially formulated to be mold and mildew resistant; and both meet the American Standard for Testing and Materials' global standard ASTM D5590-00.

Layer Your Mildew Defense with ECOBOND® Lead Defender® Paint

Lead, although a natural metal, can potentially be toxic. Lead-based paint found in older homes, especially those built before 1978, can potentially be harmful to all ages and even your pets. If you happen to have lead paint in your bathrooms, there are extra considerations to address. Bathrooms are susceptible to mold and mildew. Because of the increased moisture due to multiple points of water, humid air, and the enclosed nature of the space, microorganisms can more easily grow and take root in the crevices and edges of your bathroom. The best way to combat it is by adding mildew-resistant factors throughout the bathroom. Here are two simple ways to bathrooms mildew-free and to optimize air quality:

1. Paint the bathroom walls with ECOBOND Lead Defender® paint for extra lead and mold/mildew protection. Mold and mildew spores float throughout the air in any given bathroom, looking for the best surfaces to settle and multiply. Using mildew resistant paint that is chemically constructed to include antimicrobial formulas that protect your walls protects the structural integrity of the walls.
2. Add adequate ventilation. Mold and algae grow wherever there's adequate moisture. Even though your walls are protected with the right mold- and mildew-resistant paint, spores might settle in tile grout, along metal fixtures, and in the air. Add a bathroom fan or exterior window to keep humid conditions at bay.
3. Use low-VOC paints and stains for all of your surfaces. VOCs, or volatile organic compounds, are dangerous ingredients or by-products of many coating materials, and they can make the air toxic during the application process and sometimes for the life of the product. Using water-based products or paints that guarantee no added VOCs keeps the air quality higher and occupants healthier.

Every layer of defense you can add to your bathrooms impacted by lead paint to keep mold, mildew, and algae out results in better air quality and stronger, longer-lasting renovations. Painting your walls with paints rated for safety is one of the best layers for stopping growth and protecting the majority of your bathroom from toxins.

ECOBOND® products resist mold and mildew – (ASTM D5590-00 modified)

Acid Rain Attacks Fire-Retardant Coatings

Acid rain is a common problem in industrial areas and is one that can seriously damage your fire-retardant coatings. While the damage may seem slight or even minimal at first, it can add up to become very concerning over a short period. Even worse, it can increase your fire risk and make it more likely that serious lead paint poisoning could occur.

This Can Leave Lead Paint Exposed

When your fire-retardant materials wear away, your lead paint will be exposed to the environment. This is a serious danger because it could allow lead paint to spread to water sources. Even worse, it could cause poisonous smoke if your facility ever catches fire. While that risk may seem low, you are going to be looking at a serious problem if your unprotected facility goes up in flames.

Destruction by fire holds a universal horror for us all.  The NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) and ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) have both established specific standards so companies that produce materials for use within and on the outside construction of homes, businesses, stadiums, public buildings, etc., as well as materials that are worn on the body, are fire-retardant and/or fire-resistant.  When a fire flares, the standards used in manufacturing the coatings in these products should delay the spread of the fire as well as well as limit the amount of smoke that is produced.

With acid rain being a real and present danger to the integrity of building materials, paint, and coatings, it's important to utilize only products that meet the stringent standards of the ASTM E84--products that earn the highest ASTM rating of "0" for surface flame spread and smoke density measurements.

When dealing with the possibility of loss of life and inestimable damage resulting from fire, make sure you use only the highest rated fire-retardant coating products and paints and follow recommended maintenance suggestions to insure the best protection for your loved ones and your property in the event of a fire. 

Mitigating This Danger

Protecting with ECOBOND® - Lead Defender® or Lead Defender® Pro is an essential way of avoiding this kind of acid rain damage. These products have been reported as "groundbreaking" methods for protecting the environment from lead paint and avoiding fire damage. They have the highest possible ASTM E84 ratings, as they have a risk of almost zero for both flame-spread and smoke developed during a lead paint fire.

ECOBOND® Paint LLC is the Premier Provider of Environmental Products focused on protecting human health from the dangers of lead. Enjoy Peace of Mind from the Dangers of Lead Paint When You Use Our Proven & Patented ECOBOND® Family of Environmental Paints! Now includes Bitrex® a bitter-tasting additive to discourage oral contact! www.EcobondPaint.com

Buy Now: Call 1-888-520-7132 or Order here

Even though lead-based paint has been banned from production since 1978, and environmental regulations now control its usage in childcare facilities, there continues to arise instances where individuals ignore the warnings. Almost inevitably, these cases confirm the dangers of carelessness in the matter of lead exposure.

According to an article By Kevin Grasha from the Cincinnati Enquirer on April 2018, a judge ordered the immediate shutdown of a small daycare owned by Alexzandria Allen in Avondale, Ohio after multiple inspections and investigations showed a hazardous content of lead in the paint. Not only was there paint lead-based, but it was also cracked and flaking off at levels accessible to the children. Allen operated her daycare out of a three-story apartment building built in 1928, currently owned by a man named Elijah Mohammed Rashaed (a notorious landlord who has reportedly committed at least 15,000 code violations in the last 17 years).

Investigations at the daycare were originally prompted last year when a child was diagnosed with lead poisoning, and the child's home was found to be free of any hazardous lead. Samples of paint dust were then taken from the Allen Daycare where the child was enrolled along with, and lead was found present. Rashaed, the owner of the building, was given an allowance of time to have the paint safely removed but neglected to take the opportunity.

Allen was also charged with the illegal use of marijuana during daycare hours of operation. She denied the charges, but electronic attendance records indicate that there were children present at the time of the drug use. These charges have moved the Ohio Job and Family Services to take steps in revoking her daycare license, and they are preparing to take Allen to court this month.

Lead poisoning is not something that any child should be subjected to, whether it comes through negligence or blatant disregard for safety. Any level of lead in the blood is considered unsafe, and Americans should continue to dispose of outdated lead-based products in a proper way to replace them with new products that will not pose a risk to the health of everyone around.

In our recent blog post titled: “Lead Regulations and Declining Blood Lead Levels in Children,” despite this encouraging progress, elevated lead levels in children is an issue that requires ongoing remediation. Although there is still work to be done, there exists a will to deal with the problem of childhood lead exposure in the United States. Regulations surrounding water testing in schools and day care centers have contributed to identifying areas of concern. Further, it is part of the government's Healthy People 2020 initiative to prevent lead exposure to young children by the year 2020. With continued effort, regulation, remediation, and increased awareness, such a goal will go a long way toward protecting future generations from the dangers of lead.  

ECOBOND® Paint LLC is the nation’s leader in developing and distributing products that improve the protection of human health and safety from the hazards of lead in the home, workplace, and the environment. With over 15 years in patented and proven success, the ECOBOND® family of products have been extensively used in successfully treating lead hazards in over 11,000,000 tons of material while serving over 100,000 customers in the United States and Internationally.

The ECOBOND® Paint family of products now includes Bitrex® a bitter-tasting additive to discourage oral contact! This creates an added safety barrier to further protect children from lead poisoning by reducing the amount of paint chips or dust a child may ingest. Bitrex® is the bitterest substance known and is added to ECOBOND® to reduce accidental ingestion of potentially harmful materials.

ECOBOND® Paint LLC is the Premier Provider of Environmental Products focused on protecting human health from the dangers of lead.

Enjoy Peace of Mind from the Dangers of Lead Paint When You Use Our Proven & Patented ECOBOND® Family of Environmental Paints! Now includes Bitrex® a bitter-tasting additive to discourage oral contact!

Buy Now!