Karolína Brabcová from Arnika presented the results during a press conference in the premises of the Metropolitan Authority of the Capital City of Prague.

People are commonly exposed to lead , cadmium , toxic mercury and other heavy metals in Czech capital. Lead concentration present in dust is much higher in office and authority buildings, yet in general, the interior heavy metal presence is often a heritage of the past. The analysis, presented during the International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week of Action 2017, was conducted by the Arnika Association in cooperation with the University of Chemistry and Technology in Prague.

The pollution source is, in particular, the room furnishing, lead containing construction materials and lead and cadmium containing paints. Considerable number of Prague public buildings was constructed in the first half of the 20th century and furnished with equipment containing higher levels of lead. Usually, PVC cabel isolation with lead stabilisers are to blame, even lead-based paints and coats are still present. In case of cadmium, the highest values were found in painter studios, where pigments with high cadmium levels are often used.

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