The belief that expensive phosphate detergents are required to clear lead is now been challenged.
Washington: Researchers now think that no special detergents is required to remove lead-laden dust from households. Previously it was recommended that one use phosphate detergents to clear lead.
A new study by researchers at the Saint Louis University School of Public Health has found that cheap all-purpose detergents are enough to remove lead-laden dust.According to the study, published in the recent issue of the American Chemical Society's Environmental Science and Technology journal, all-purpose detergents remove lead-contaminated dust from household surfaces just as effectively as high phosphate detergents and lead-specific cleaning products. The researchers, led by Roger D. Lewis, tested how well various detergents removed lead from three common household surfaces: vinyl flooring, wood and wallpaper.
They found that all-purpose floor detergents containing no phosphate did just as well as a more expensive lead-specific product and trisodium phosphate (TSP), a less environmentally friendly substance. Lead-specific cleaners or TSP have long been recommended for lead removal.
(Source:ANI)
