Contents of old Humbrol Paint

[Martin-358379]

Hello,

When I was younger, I made models using some of my dads old Humbrol enamel paint (probably from the 80s or 90s) and I was wondering if anyone knew if these old paints contained any lead. I presume some of the colours like white probably did contain lead but as far as I know I didn’t use any white.

Thanks

UPDATE:

As far as I am aware, two colours (olive green and silver) contain no lead, but most likely none of the paints contain any lead whatsoever, from the 1960s onwards.

[Ratch]

If there was any lead in the tinlets, the volume would be miniscule. There were plenty of solvents like Toluene and M.E.K. in them, but I don't know the formula Humbrol used.

[Sailorman]

Once we are mentioning lead in paints and lead poisoning......Interesting story, HMS Hibernia - 100 gun 1st Rate ship of the line - spent many years anchored in the Grand Harbour in Malta. Over the years she must have had many, many coats of paint. This extract from Wikkipedia explains!

"Hibernia was sold in 1902 and broken up. Her timber ended up being used to fire bakeries in Malta, leading to an outbreak of lead poisoning on the island. A statue of the Virgin Mary, in her mantle as Queen of Heaven, was carved from a section of the ship's main mast and can be seen in the Collegiate Parish Church of St Paul's Shipwreck in Valletta. Her figurehead is now displayed at the Malta Maritime Museum, which is housed in the former Royal Naval Bakery building in Birgu, Malta".

Hope you find this interesting.