Lead Paint
Why was lead ever used in paint?
What is lead poisoning?
How do children become lead poisoned?
What are the odds that my house contains lead paint?
Why should I inspect for lead paint?
Are home lead test kits from hardware stores reliable?
How do you test for lead?
How is lead paint defined?
How do you decide what to test?
How much is a lead inspection?
Asbestos
What is asbestos?
How many products contain asbestos?
How do asbestos fibers enter the body?
When is asbestos a hazard?
How can I find out if I have asbestos in my home?
What can I do to make sure my asbestos does not become dangerous?
Why was lead ever used in paint?
- Lead was used in paint as a drying agent. Lead based paint was used inside homes because it was the most durable paint, and had the brightest colors. It was also used on the outside of homes because it could withstand extreme weather changes. Lead based paint kills mold and mildew. Because mold and mildew typically grow in high moisture areas, lead based paint was often used in places where moisture was found such as bathrooms and kitchens. As more was learned about the dangers of lead, Federal legislation phased out the use of lead in paint, and by 1978 it was banned from residential paints altogether.
What is lead poisoning?
- Lead can be found in a variety of materials and is very hazardous because it can affect vital organs such as the kidneys and the central nervous system. If young children are exposed to lead, there is the possibility of brain damage. Lead exposer has been linked to low IQ, learning disabilities, and behavior problems in children. In the worst case scenario, lead exposure can cause a coma or even death!
How do children become lead poisoned?
- Children are most frequently lead poisoned by household lead paint dust. Lead dust is created by chipping or peeling paint, opening and closing lead painted windows, or repairs or renovations to lead painted surfaces. Lead paint dust rests on surfaces which children touch and then clings to their hands and toys. Children ingest this lead dust when they put their hands or toys into their mouths. Children are also lead poisoned by mouthing lead painted surfaces and eating lead paint chips. Young children absorb a significantly higher percentage of ingested lead than adults. In rare instances, children are lead poisoned by lead contaminated water and soil.
What are the odds that my house contains lead paint?
- In general, the older the home, the more likely it will contain lead paint. Approximately 57 million houses, apartments, and other residences across the U.S. contain lead based paint. Based on Lead Tech’s experience inspecting homes in Southern California, we can make the following generalizations. While every house is unique, the residence’s age usually dictates the following odds:
Before 1940: 50% on the interior, and 80% or more on exterior;
1940 -1950: 30% on interior, and >50% on the exterior;
1950 -1960: <20% on interior, and >30% on exterior;
1960 – 1970: <10%;
1970 – 1978: <5% contain lead paint.
Why should I inspect for lead paint?
Whether you’re a resident or a contractor, exposure to lead can cause serious health problems. Reasons for having a lead inspection vary, depending whether you’ve been hired to renovate the house or are already living in it. We’ve compiled our responses as they relate to contractors, home owners and buyers. Check out your category below to learn more:
- Contractors: If you are going to work on a residence built prior to 1978, you are required to follow the EPA’s Renovation, Repair, and Painting Rule regulations. Testing your projects will locate and identify those building components that contain lead based paint, or even better, identify all the paint as lead free. With this information you will save time and money by possibly avoiding the RRP procedures all together.
- Home Owner: You should test for lead based paint, dust and soil contamination if your home was built prior to 1978 and you have children under six years old or are planning to have children. You should test if you are planning to remodel, paint or renovate your home. You should test if you have deteriorated, chipped paint. You should test if you live near a freeway or a busy road where leaded gasoline exhaust may have contaminated the soil.
- Home Buyer: If planning to purchase a house, you need to find out when the home was built. If it was built prior to 1978, the seller is required to notify you that it may contain lead based paint. If there is lead paint, the cost to renovate, repair, or paint the home will increase. More importantly, you can better protect your family knowing whether there is lead in the paint.
Are home lead test kits from hardware stores reliable?
- There are a variety of at-home lead testing kits that use Sodium Rhodizonate (turns pink) available at stores such as Home Depot. Government organizations such as HUD and the EPA do not consider these do-it-yourself lead testing kits to be an official or reliable way to evaluate lead contamination. The EPA goes as far as to say that most of these lead testing kits should not be relied on for accurate results. They produce a lot of false positives and false negatives.
How do you test for lead?
- Lead Tech’s California certified lead inspectors utilize RMD XRF analyzers to test for lead paint. XRF analysis is a safe, non-destructive method for testing for lead. An XRF analyzer exposes a surface to radiation emitted from a sealed source inside the instrument. The source of this radiation is a 12 mCi, Cobalt 57 isotope. When a sample area is exposed to XRF, lead present in the sample emits its own unique fluorescent x-ray energy spectrum. The analyzer detects this energy and quantifies the amount of lead in the area sampled.
How is lead paint defined?
- Chapter 11 of the Los Angeles Department of Health and Human Services Safety Code, LTE considers XRF readings equal to or greater than 0.7 mg/cm2 lead positive.
How do you decide what to test?
- Lead Tech performs lead inspections pursuant to the Department of Housing & Urban Development (“HUD”) document entitled Guidelines for The Evaluation and Control of Lead-Based Paint Hazards in Housing, 1997 edition. We can limit the inspection to only the painted components that will be disturbed during future renovations, or inspect the entire building.
How much is a lead inspection?
- The price depends on the age and size of a residence. Lead Tech does not charge a set fee. We will charge less for a limited screening of 1-2 rooms than for a comprehensive lead inspection of the entire building. Please call for a free quote.
What is asbestos?
- Asbestos is a group of naturally occurring silicate minerals. Mined and milled from native rock, asbestos is fibrous, thin, and strong. Chrysotile, amosite, crocidolite, tremolite, anthophyllite, and actinolite fibers are the most common types of asbestos minerals. However, only chrysotile, crocidolite, and amosite varieties are of industrial importance. Characteristics, like heat resistance, chemical inertness, and insulating capacity, coupled with the flexibility to be woven make asbestos suitable for use in many industrial applications.
How many products contain asbestos?
It has been estimated that 3,000 different types of commercial products contain asbestos. In homes built prior to 1978, asbestos is most commonly found as thermal insulation on boilers and pipes. Unfortunately, it can also be found in many other household materials, which include:
- Blown-in attic insulation
- Vinyl floor tiles – usually 9″ X 9″ tiles contain asbestos, but all tile should be tested to be sure
- Glue that attaches floor tiles to concrete or wood (also called “mastic”)
- Some forms of linoleum
- Window caulking/putty
- Roofing materials (penetration mastic, roof felt, shingles, transite pipes)
- HVAC duct insulation (usually found in corrugated or flat paper form)
- Siding material
- Acoustic ceilings
- Stucco
- Plaster
- Drywall mud
- Fiber cement siding (usually 1/8” thick and 8’ X 4’, brittle)
- Corrugated heavy duty panels
How do asbestos fibers enter the body?
- Inhalation – Breathing air which has asbestos-containing fibers in it, is the primary route of damaging exposure. Some of the asbestos fibers reaching the lungs are eliminated in exhaled air and others are coughed from the lungs with mucous. The fibers reaching the deepest air passages of the lungs can produce the greatest damage.
- Ingestion – The digestive system can be exposed to asbestos fibers from drinking water and mucous cleared from the lungs. A small number of fibers may penetrate the cells that line the digestive system, but only a few will reach the bloodstream. These fibers will be released in the urine.
- Through the Skin – Asbestos fibers contacting the skin rarely pass through the skin into the body.
How can asbestos affect my health
It is important to note that not everyone who is exposed to asbestos develops an asbestos-related disease. Available information on the health effects related to asbestos exposure primarily comes from long-term studies of people exposed to large quantities of asbestos in the workplace.
- Asbestosis – Asbestos workers who breathe in asbestos fibers may develop a slow build-up of scar-like tissue in the lungs called asbestosis. This scarred tissue impairs the ability of the lungs and heart to adequately provide oxygen to the body. This is a serious disease and may take 20 to 30 years to develop after exposure. Asbestosis can eventually lead to disability or death in people exposed to high amounts of asbestos.
- Lung Cancer and Mesothelioma – Asbestos workers also have an increased chance of developing two types of cancer: lung cancer and mesothelioma. Lung cancer starts within the respiratory tissues and mesothelial cancer grows from the thin membranes that surround the lung or the abdominal cavities. Both lung cancer and mesothelioma are usually fatal. These asbestos-related diseases do not appear immediately, but may develop 20 to 50 years after exposure.
- Pleural Plaques – All types of asbestos can cause a variety of non-malignant pleural conditions as well. For reference, the pleura is the chest cavity or the place where the lungs sit. A thickening of the pleura can occur which can impair lung function. Pleural plaques (a gelatinous substance) can also occur, typically after about 15 years from being exposed to airborne asbestos fibers.
The health effects from oral asbestos exposures are unclear. In some areas where the residents are exposed to asbestos fibers in the drinking water, cancers of the esophagus, stomach, and intestine may be a greater concern. After reviewing the scientific evidence from human experience and animal testing, however
When is asbestos a hazard?
- Asbestos is not always an immediate hazard. If fact, if asbestos can be maintained in good condition, it is recommended that it be left alone and periodic surveillance performed to monitor its condition. It”>
How can I find out if I have asbestos in my home?
- It is recommended that you hire a professional California OSHA Certified Asbestos Consultant to conduct an inspection and take samples of any suspect asbestos-containing material.
How can I protect my health?
- Do not sand, cut or break any asbestos containing materials (ACM). Even if materials are non-friable they will release fibers if they are disturbed in this manner.
- If you must work in an area where asbestos dust may be present, wet the area down thoroughly with a garden sprayer (or a regular spray bottle) filled with water and a few drops dish detergent. The detergent reduces the surface tension of the water and allows it to penetrate any asbestos fibers more readily, thus keeping them from becoming airborne. Dispose of any rags used to clean up ACM dust.
- Never use a regular household vacuum on asbestos containing dust. Even if the vacuum is equipped with a High Efficiency (HEPA) filter, you will not be able to decontaminate it properly once you have vacuumed up the asbestos dust. Special vacuums are used on asbestos containing dust. They are equipped with a HEPA filter and are specifically designed to filter out asbestos fibers and be easily decontaminated after use.
What can I do to make sure my asbestos does not become dangerous?
- If you suspect or know that there is asbestos in your home, periodically check it for breakage, tears, abrasions, or water damage. If you discover slightly damaged material, limit access to the area and do not touch or disturb it. If the asbestos material is more than slightly damaged, or if you are going to make changes in your home that might disturb it, professional repair or removal is needed.
When is it necessary to remove asbestos containing materials?
- There is no law that says asbestos has to be removed. It is only when the material can no longer be maintained in good condition and/or the airborne concentrations of asbestos are measured to be too high, or when the building is to be demolished or renovated, that a removal may become the only option. In most states, asbestos may only be removed by Licensed Asbestos Abatement Contractors, utilizing Licensed Workers and Supervisors. Many states are stringent in regulating the removal of asbestos containing materials and all projects are usually inspected by inspectors from the State Department of Labor and Workforce Development a minimum of three times (Most state regulations, however, do not apply to private residences or multi-family residences of less than 4 units or any Federal Property.)