It seems to be a little known fact that lead was used as a low cost binding agent in bath tub enameling powders used on metal tubs for many years. A "Good Morning America" special report which aired April 19, 1995, found 64 percent of tubs tested had leachable lead on the surface. Children are most affected because their immune systems are still developing, so they absorb lead easier than adults. Lead poisoning is known as the silent disease and is associated with learning and growth impairments, kidney and liver problems, hyperactivity, as well as other maladies. Low cost lead content test kits are available at many of the larger paint and hardware stores. So if it doubt, check it out. If a tubs tests lead positive, refinishing is an option that encapsulates the lead to make the tub safe. Changing a tub is costly, but if children use a known tub that is leaching lead, keep bath hands and bath toys out of mouths.

DID YOU KNOW…
a tub of terra-cotta made by the Minoans over four thousand years ago was discovered in the ruins of the Palace of Knossos in Crete. The Romans had elaborate warm public baths and Queen Elizabeth I of England had a valve water-closet. She wrote in 1598 that she bathed once a month whether she needed it or not. Ben Franklin advised regular tub baths for his dirty compatriots. However, until about a hundred years ago, most folks had the backbreaking chore of pumping ten to twenty gallons of water from their wells, then carrying it in bucket by bucket to the stove before transferring the warmed water to their tub. After the family all bathed in the same  water, the water had to be carried out and discarded. The earliest showers were developed for medicinal use in the early 1800's and did not become common until indoor plumbing came along.