Pennsylvania Lead Inspector Study Guide – Exam Prep, Practice Questions &
Certification Review
What is the chemical symbol for lead? - ✔✔Pb
What ore is the natural state of lead? - ✔✔Galena
What are some of the characteristics of lead? - ✔✔Heavy, soft, easily worked, bluish material
What is the oldest known object made of lead? - ✔✔A statue excavated from Turkey that dates
back 6,500 years
How much lead production happened during the Roman Empire? - ✔✔80,000 tons
Why was lead added to paint? - ✔✔Prevents corrosion, blocks radiation, strong/durable, helps
with heating/cooling/weatherization
Sources of lead in man-made environment - ✔✔Electrical batteries, chemicals, paint additives,
gasoline additives (tetraethel), solder on pipe seams, radiation shielding
Contamination pathways for lead exposure - ✔✔Adults: primarily occupational exposure
Children: household dust and soil
Types of lead in housing - ✔✔Paint
Soil and Dust (caused from paint chips, leaded gasoline, industrial sources)
Drinking water (from pipes, solders)
, What increases lead absorption in the body? - ✔✔Malnutrition and poor diet
What household components have the highest concentration of lead in paint? - ✔✔Window
troughs/wells
What is the most common route of exposure for lead-poisoned children? - ✔✔Lead dust
Contaminating factors of lead in water - ✔✔Temperature, acidity, total dissolved solids
"Hot, acidic, "soft" (low dissolved in solids) water is the most corrosive towards lead"
What is the HUD definition of a lead-based paint hazard? - ✔✔> or = to 1.0mg/cm2, or 0.5%
(5000 ppm) or more lead by weight
What are the 3 bodily systems where the effects of lead are most dangerous? - ✔✔Central and
peripheral nervous systems
Cardiovascular system, including the blood forming system
the kidneys
What is the venous confirmed Elevated Blood Lead level? (EBLL) - ✔✔> or = 3.5ug/dL
Route of Entry: Ingestion - ✔✔When lead dust is transferred from hands to mouth is most
common
Route of Entry: Inhalation - ✔✔Breathing in the lead-dust particles
Most common route of exposure (especially in adults)
Route of Entry: Absorption - ✔✔Most rare route of entry
Certification Review
What is the chemical symbol for lead? - ✔✔Pb
What ore is the natural state of lead? - ✔✔Galena
What are some of the characteristics of lead? - ✔✔Heavy, soft, easily worked, bluish material
What is the oldest known object made of lead? - ✔✔A statue excavated from Turkey that dates
back 6,500 years
How much lead production happened during the Roman Empire? - ✔✔80,000 tons
Why was lead added to paint? - ✔✔Prevents corrosion, blocks radiation, strong/durable, helps
with heating/cooling/weatherization
Sources of lead in man-made environment - ✔✔Electrical batteries, chemicals, paint additives,
gasoline additives (tetraethel), solder on pipe seams, radiation shielding
Contamination pathways for lead exposure - ✔✔Adults: primarily occupational exposure
Children: household dust and soil
Types of lead in housing - ✔✔Paint
Soil and Dust (caused from paint chips, leaded gasoline, industrial sources)
Drinking water (from pipes, solders)
, What increases lead absorption in the body? - ✔✔Malnutrition and poor diet
What household components have the highest concentration of lead in paint? - ✔✔Window
troughs/wells
What is the most common route of exposure for lead-poisoned children? - ✔✔Lead dust
Contaminating factors of lead in water - ✔✔Temperature, acidity, total dissolved solids
"Hot, acidic, "soft" (low dissolved in solids) water is the most corrosive towards lead"
What is the HUD definition of a lead-based paint hazard? - ✔✔> or = to 1.0mg/cm2, or 0.5%
(5000 ppm) or more lead by weight
What are the 3 bodily systems where the effects of lead are most dangerous? - ✔✔Central and
peripheral nervous systems
Cardiovascular system, including the blood forming system
the kidneys
What is the venous confirmed Elevated Blood Lead level? (EBLL) - ✔✔> or = 3.5ug/dL
Route of Entry: Ingestion - ✔✔When lead dust is transferred from hands to mouth is most
common
Route of Entry: Inhalation - ✔✔Breathing in the lead-dust particles
Most common route of exposure (especially in adults)
Route of Entry: Absorption - ✔✔Most rare route of entry
