The health risks of lead (Pb)
What are the Dangers of Lead?
How does remodeling impact lead?
How can you get lead poisoning?
What homes are at risk for having lead based paint?
Why is lead based paint a hazard?
How do I determine if lead paint is present in my facility?
How will lead based paint affect a renovation project?
How do I know if lead paint dust has been cleaned properly?
The health risks of lead (Pb)
Lead poisoning can cause severe and irreversible damage to the
central nervous system. However, if detected, lead poisoning can be
reversed by medical treatment and/or by eliminating exposure.
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What are the Dangers of Lead?
About 75 percent of homes built before 1978 contain some lead-based
paint. You should assume that a house painted before 1978 contains some
lead-based paint. Older homes may have many layers of paint, and the
older layers of paint are more likely to contain lead. These older
layers of paint can be disturbed during remodeling. The only way to know
if the paint does not contain lead is to have it tested. You can test
the paint by using a home test kit available at paint and hardware
stores (if allowed in your State), by sending a paint sample to a lab to
be analyzed, or by hiring an individual licensed by your State's
Department of Health to do a lead evaluation of the home (Contact your
State's Department of Health to learn more about testing old paint,
dust, drinking water and soil for lead).
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How does remodeling impact lead?
Anyone involved in remodeling an older home can be exposed to lead
in old paint, dust, paint chips, fumes and soil. Lead dust can get on
hair, skin and clothing. Lead paint chips, dust and soil can also be
tracked into the home. People can be exposed to lead any time they
breathe lead dust or fumes, or swallow anything that contains lead.
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How can you get lead poisoning?
People living in older homes can become lead poisoned during
remodeling. People working with lead on the job can also be exposed to
lead dust and bring it home to their families. Lead poisoning may cause
permanent problems with health, learning and behavior in young children.
Adults poisoned by lead can suffer from high blood pressure, kidney
damage and fertility problems.
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What homes are at risk for having lead based paint?
The older your home, the more likely it is to contain lead-based
paint. Paints containing up to 50 percent lead were used on both the
inside and outside of homes through the 1950s. Lead was still used in
some household paints manufactured until 1978, although these newer
paints usually contained much smaller amounts of lead.
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Why is lead based paint a hazard?
Lead dust can be absorbed into the body via inhalation and
ingestion. If lead accumulates in the body, it can damage the liver,
kidneys, blood-forming organs, nervous system and reproductive systems.
In housing, lead presents a hazard for children who may ingest lead dust
and/or paint chips. If children ingest lead during early stages of
development, their mental development may be impaired or mental
retardation may occur.
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How do I determine if lead paint is present in my facility?
A survey can be done by probe Environmental Inc. using an XRF survey
instrument or one of our Inspector/Risk Assessors can take bulk samples
of representative paint. Typically, each color of paint, and each type
of substrate is sampled separately. Surfaces that may be coated with
lead based paint include but are not limited to: structural steel,
exterior siding, interior wood trim, door and window frames, metal
staircases, plaster, concrete block, and sheetrock walls. Older
facilities are more likely to have lead based paint on various building
systems.
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How will lead based paint affect a renovation project?
Lead based paint may be present on structural steel, concrete block
walls, wood windows, wood trim, plaster and sheetrock walls and other
building materials. Building components may be demolished with intact
paint adhered to the surfaces, but the contractor must take precautions
to protect the workers and prevent dispersion of dust. Loose and peeling
paint should be removed and disposed of as lead waste. If lead paint is
on structural steel, the paint must be removed before the steel is cut
by torching or welding. Lead based paint should not be dry sanded or
abraded. Surface preparation for repainting should be done under
controlled conditions. Probe Environmental Inc. can prepare
specifications for the control of lead dust during renovations and
demolitions.
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How do I know if lead paint dust has been cleaned properly?
The contractor should use a combination of wet cleaning with TSP or
other appropriate detergent and HEPA vacuuming. At the conclusion of the
project, Probe Environmental Inc will collect wipe samples to measure
the concentration of lead on various surfaces, and air samples to
measure the concentration of lead in the air. The results are compared
to industry standards or HUD guidelines to assess whether additional
cleaning is required.
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