EPA LEAD INSPECTOR EXAM
QUESTIONS & ACCURATE
SOLUTIONS ALL PASSED
Lead-based paint (LBP) - Correct Answer ✔✔ Any varnish, shallac, or coating that
contains either- 1.0 mg/cm2 - 0.5 % by weight - 5000 ppm - Older instruments could not
read accurately at 0.7, so the lead standard was updated to 1.0
Dust sample clearance values - Correct Answer ✔✔ - Floors: 40 μg/ft2 > 10 μg/ft2 (10
μg/ft2 in NY) - Windows: 250 μg/ft2 > 100 μg/ft2 (50 μg/ft2 in NY) - Window wells
(troughs): 400 μg/ft2 (100 μg/ft2 in NY) - Samples must be at 1 sq ft > 2 sq ft (can be
reduced to 1 sq ft if within 10 μg)
EPA Soil Regulations - Correct Answer ✔✔ - 400 ppm for playgrounds/children's areas
- 1200 ppm for rest of yard - There must be 9 sq ft of soil to classify with soil testing - At
5000 ppm, MUST remediate/abate (remove & replace, paving, or bioremediation)
Lab sampling technique - Correct Answer ✔✔ - AAS (Atomic Absorption Spectrometry)
- Sample is placed into a furnace and vaporized ... light is shone through to give a
quantitative result
XRF - Correct Answer ✔✔ - X-ray fluorescence - Utilizes radioactive isotopes (unstable
material trying to reach stability) - Cobalt-57 (half-life of 9 months) and cadmium-109
(half-life of 15 months) are the two sources (where radiation originates) - Emits gamma
rays but will read X-rays (backscatters) - Ionizing radiation from the removal of electrons
due to interactions with radiation
LBP Hazard - Correct Answer ✔✔ ANY condition that causes exposure to lead
LBP inspection - Correct Answer ✔✔ a surface-by-surface investigation to determine
the presence of lead
CPSC - Correct Answer ✔✔ - Consumer Product Safety Commission - Set a lead paint
standard: cannot contain 0.06% lead by weight ... updated to 0.009% - The commission
banned lead-based paint in 1978
True/False: Dust sampling only done for hazard assessments - Correct Answer ✔✔
True; only risk assessors take samples to determine likelihood of coming into contact
with contaminants
What kind of sampling must be done for inspections? - Correct Answer ✔✔ Random ...
repeats must be annotated then you move onto the next
, HUD Guidelines for abatement - Correct Answer ✔✔ Must last 20 years. Includes the
following procedures: - Removal - Enclosure - Replacement - Encapsulation Painting
over is a temporary fix!
Water standards for lead - Correct Answer ✔✔ - 15 ppb under the Clean Water Act
(CWA) - 5 ppb under the FDA standard (bottled water) *These are the ONLY instances
where ppb is used
Why was lead used so much? - Correct Answer ✔✔ - Durable - Colorful - Anti-corrosive
- Anti-fungal - Drying agent
What does RRP do? - Correct Answer ✔✔ - Renovation, Repairing, and Painting
program - Provided enforcement to Title X in 2010 ... $37,500 fines for violation - Dust
sampling technicians can only sample for RRP projects
What must you do if a pre-1978 site is not tested? - Correct Answer ✔✔ Presume lead-
based paint.
Where is LBP still allowed? - Correct Answer ✔✔ Commercial purposes/boats
What are the major industrial uses of lead? - Correct Answer ✔✔ Present - Electrical
batteries - Chemical additives Past - Paint additive - Gasoline additive (now in soil ...
doesn't permeate quickly, so sample TOP portions (12 in)) - Solder/pipes
What are the common pathways of contamination? - Correct Answer ✔✔ - For children
under 6, hand-to-mouth contact from DUST ... lead tastes sweet (pica is the term for
consumption of non-food items) - For adults, occupational exposure (take-home lead ...
pets can contribute too)
Chronic vs. acute exposure - Correct Answer ✔✔ - Chronic: low dose, long period -
Acute: high dose, short period
How do you treat lead poisoning? - Correct Answer ✔✔ - Chelation therapy - Binding
agents attach to lead in the blood, allowing it to be excreted - Chelating agents cannot
distinguish lead from minerals, so the therapy causes demineralization - Done at a
blood lead of 45 μg/dL
Where does lead contamination in water come from? - Correct Answer ✔✔ Solder,
brass fittings and fixtures, and service lines
How much lead is present in homes? - Correct Answer ✔✔ - 87% of homes pre-1940 -
69% of homes pre-1960 - 24% of homes pre-1978
Who is responsible for investigating lead poisoning? - Correct Answer ✔✔ -
Departments of Health (DOH) - They can mandate abatement
QUESTIONS & ACCURATE
SOLUTIONS ALL PASSED
Lead-based paint (LBP) - Correct Answer ✔✔ Any varnish, shallac, or coating that
contains either- 1.0 mg/cm2 - 0.5 % by weight - 5000 ppm - Older instruments could not
read accurately at 0.7, so the lead standard was updated to 1.0
Dust sample clearance values - Correct Answer ✔✔ - Floors: 40 μg/ft2 > 10 μg/ft2 (10
μg/ft2 in NY) - Windows: 250 μg/ft2 > 100 μg/ft2 (50 μg/ft2 in NY) - Window wells
(troughs): 400 μg/ft2 (100 μg/ft2 in NY) - Samples must be at 1 sq ft > 2 sq ft (can be
reduced to 1 sq ft if within 10 μg)
EPA Soil Regulations - Correct Answer ✔✔ - 400 ppm for playgrounds/children's areas
- 1200 ppm for rest of yard - There must be 9 sq ft of soil to classify with soil testing - At
5000 ppm, MUST remediate/abate (remove & replace, paving, or bioremediation)
Lab sampling technique - Correct Answer ✔✔ - AAS (Atomic Absorption Spectrometry)
- Sample is placed into a furnace and vaporized ... light is shone through to give a
quantitative result
XRF - Correct Answer ✔✔ - X-ray fluorescence - Utilizes radioactive isotopes (unstable
material trying to reach stability) - Cobalt-57 (half-life of 9 months) and cadmium-109
(half-life of 15 months) are the two sources (where radiation originates) - Emits gamma
rays but will read X-rays (backscatters) - Ionizing radiation from the removal of electrons
due to interactions with radiation
LBP Hazard - Correct Answer ✔✔ ANY condition that causes exposure to lead
LBP inspection - Correct Answer ✔✔ a surface-by-surface investigation to determine
the presence of lead
CPSC - Correct Answer ✔✔ - Consumer Product Safety Commission - Set a lead paint
standard: cannot contain 0.06% lead by weight ... updated to 0.009% - The commission
banned lead-based paint in 1978
True/False: Dust sampling only done for hazard assessments - Correct Answer ✔✔
True; only risk assessors take samples to determine likelihood of coming into contact
with contaminants
What kind of sampling must be done for inspections? - Correct Answer ✔✔ Random ...
repeats must be annotated then you move onto the next
, HUD Guidelines for abatement - Correct Answer ✔✔ Must last 20 years. Includes the
following procedures: - Removal - Enclosure - Replacement - Encapsulation Painting
over is a temporary fix!
Water standards for lead - Correct Answer ✔✔ - 15 ppb under the Clean Water Act
(CWA) - 5 ppb under the FDA standard (bottled water) *These are the ONLY instances
where ppb is used
Why was lead used so much? - Correct Answer ✔✔ - Durable - Colorful - Anti-corrosive
- Anti-fungal - Drying agent
What does RRP do? - Correct Answer ✔✔ - Renovation, Repairing, and Painting
program - Provided enforcement to Title X in 2010 ... $37,500 fines for violation - Dust
sampling technicians can only sample for RRP projects
What must you do if a pre-1978 site is not tested? - Correct Answer ✔✔ Presume lead-
based paint.
Where is LBP still allowed? - Correct Answer ✔✔ Commercial purposes/boats
What are the major industrial uses of lead? - Correct Answer ✔✔ Present - Electrical
batteries - Chemical additives Past - Paint additive - Gasoline additive (now in soil ...
doesn't permeate quickly, so sample TOP portions (12 in)) - Solder/pipes
What are the common pathways of contamination? - Correct Answer ✔✔ - For children
under 6, hand-to-mouth contact from DUST ... lead tastes sweet (pica is the term for
consumption of non-food items) - For adults, occupational exposure (take-home lead ...
pets can contribute too)
Chronic vs. acute exposure - Correct Answer ✔✔ - Chronic: low dose, long period -
Acute: high dose, short period
How do you treat lead poisoning? - Correct Answer ✔✔ - Chelation therapy - Binding
agents attach to lead in the blood, allowing it to be excreted - Chelating agents cannot
distinguish lead from minerals, so the therapy causes demineralization - Done at a
blood lead of 45 μg/dL
Where does lead contamination in water come from? - Correct Answer ✔✔ Solder,
brass fittings and fixtures, and service lines
How much lead is present in homes? - Correct Answer ✔✔ - 87% of homes pre-1940 -
69% of homes pre-1960 - 24% of homes pre-1978
Who is responsible for investigating lead poisoning? - Correct Answer ✔✔ -
Departments of Health (DOH) - They can mandate abatement
