Lead Based Paint Lab Sample (Recommended from homes built before 1978)
Do all homes built before 1978 have lead paint?
If your home was built before 1978, there is a good chance it has lead-based paint. In 1978, the federal government banned consumer uses of lead-containing paint, but some states banned it even earlier. Lead paint is still present in millions of homes, sometimes under layers of newer paint. Schedule a lab tested analysis with us to give you and your loved ones the peace of mind they deserve before moving forward with that home purchase!
Ingesting lead paint and breathing in lead dust is the #1 contributor to lead poisoning, which causes brain damage and affects over 200,000 children each year.
Lead poisoning limits a child’s ability to learn, even after a short term exposure. It is estimated that a child’s I.Q. drops 3 points for every 10 micrograms per deciliter of lead in their blood. If the child receives prompt medical attention, chances for recovery are very good. However, if the exposure goes undetected, it can bring about permanent damage, causing anything from learning disabilities to severe mental retardation and even death. Children under the age of 7 are much more susceptible to lead poisoning because their developing bodies absorb the lead at 4 times the rate of an adult.
Compounding this medical danger is the fact that one of the most common places for children to become exposed to lead is in the home. The major sources of in-home contamination are lead-based paints, tap water, colorful ceramic dishes, soil and airborne lead particles. Because you can’t see, taste or smell lead, everyone is potentially at risk.
Have Your Child Tested
Health officials recommend that children receive a blood test for lead contamination by the age of one and continue testing every couple of years. However, if you suspect that your home may be contaminated with lead, have the child tested at six months old. It is estimated that as many as 1 in 4 children under the age of 7 have lead in their blood. Contact your local health department for the location of medical attention and testing facilities.
Lead Paint Contamination
Lead-based paint is a notorious culprit. Many homes/apartments built before 1960 have heavily leaded paint and homes/apartments built prior to 1978 may also contain paint with dangerously high levels of lead. Lead based paint can be on walls, ceilings, woodwork, windows, furniture (cribs), children’s toys and even floors. As it peels, paint chips are loosened and can be ingested by children. Another contamination source from lead is lead dust particles. Painted surface friction points, such as window frames and sills, create paint dust. Household renovation activities can also create high levels of paint dust. When a lead–based paint surface is broken, sanded or scraped, it breaks into tiny, sometimes invisible, pieces that children can swallow or inhale.
Ceramic dishes and mugs are another area of concern. Some ceramic dishware, especially those imported from foreign countries, may contain lead contaminated glaze. The lead can leach into food or liquids, particularly acidic foods. Foods stored or cooked in these containers are at higher risk of contamination.
Reduce the Risk of Contamination
The initial step in preventing lead poisoning is determining whether or not your house and household items contain lead. All suspected surfaces and dishware should be tested. Home test kits, such as PRO-LAB’s Professional Lead Surface Test Kit and Professional Test Kit for Paint & Dust provide a simple, accurate and easy first line of defense against lead contamination. Professional Lead Surface Test Kit and Professional Test Kit for Paint & Dust is the only safe, non-toxic lead test kit available. All surfaces including walls, windows, ceilings, floors and ceramics should be tested.
Good housecleaning is another important element. Keep all of your children’s play areas as dust–free as possible. Frequently wash floors and windows with phosphate–rich cleansers, such as automatic dish washing detergents. Keep all toys clean by washing them often.
If you discover the presence of lead–based paint in your house, do not attempt to remove it yourself. Contact your local health department and seek help from a professional who has special training in lead paint removal or encapsulation.
LEAD IN WATER
WHAT IS LEAD AND HOW DID IT GET INTO YOUR WATER?
It is estimated that more than 3 million children in the United States have lead poisoning. Lead is a toxic metal that has been used in the past by manufacturers to make faucets, fixtures and copper pipe solder. Even “lead free“ plumbing may contain up to 8% lead. Although lead was banned in 1986 in the manufacture of all fixtures, pipes and solder, it is estimated to still be in the pipes of over 90% of all homes in the U.S. Lead is dissolved into your drinking water from pipes, solder and fixtures in your home’s water system and water service lines. When water stands in pipes, fixtures and water systems containing lead for several hours it dissolves into your drinking water. This is true especially if you have acidic water (low pH). This means that the first water drawn from the faucet in the morning can contain high levels of lead. Since lead is colorless and tasteless when dissolved, you must test to detect lead in your water.
WHAT CAN LEAD IN WATER DO TO YOU?
Lead in water can cause a variety of diverse health effects, including mental and physical developmental problems in young children. When ingested, even in small amounts, lead can cause permanent damage to the brain, kidneys, and hearing, especially in children under 7 years old. Lead poisoning is not only a problem in children. In adults, lead in water can cause increased blood pressure, headaches, mood changes, sleep disturbances, a decrease in fertility (men), digestive problems, nerve disorders and joint and muscle pain. Drinking high levels of lead can cause mental retardation, blindness, comas, and even death. Drinking water contaminated with lead can also cause problems in pregnancy and affect a baby’s normal development. Exposure to lead-based paint usually occurs from ingestion. Lead-based paint does not present a health hazard as long as the paint is not chipping, flaking, crushed or sanded into dust. Low levels of exposure to lead can cause health effects such as learning disabilities and behavioral problems in children. Exposure to lead paint dust or chips can cause serious health problems, especially to children and pregnant women. So, if you live in or own an older home, you need to know how to protect yourself and others.
How do I know if there is lead in my water?
The only way to know whether your tap water contains lead is to have it tested. You cannot see, taste, or smell lead in drinking water. Therefore, you must ask your water provider whether your water has lead in it or better yet contact us to collect a sample to have a professional lab analysis of the quality of your water. You cannot put a price on the health of you and your loved ones and Inspection Now gives you that piece of mind.
What is dangerous lead level in water?
EPA has set the maximum contaminant level goal for lead in drinking water at zero because lead is a toxic metal that can be harmful to human health even at low exposure levels. Lead is persistent, and it can bio-accumulate in the body over time.
Is it OK to shower in lead water?
Although we do not condone any contact with lead contaminated water, bathing and showering should be safe for you and your children, even if the water contains lead over EPA’s action level. Human skin does not absorb lead in water. This information applies to most situations and to a large majority of the population, but individual circumstances may vary.
Does boiling water remove lead?
Heating or boiling your water will not remove lead. Because some of the water evaporates during the boiling process, the lead concentration of the water can actually increase slightly as the water is boiled. Avoid cooking with or drinking hot tap water because hot water dissolves lead more readily than cold water does.
