EPA Lead Inspector Questions And Answers
1. Lead-based paint (LBP): 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
2. Dust sample clearance values: - Floors: 40 ¼ g / f t 2 > 10 ¼
g / f t 2 (10 ¼
g / f t 2 in NY) -
Windows: 250 ¼ g /ft2 > 100 ¼
g /ft2 (50 ¼
g /ft2 in NY) - Window wells (troughs): 400 ¼ g /ft2
(100 ¼ g / f t 2 in NY) - Samples must be at 1 sq ft > 2 sq ft (can be reduced to 1 sq ft if
within 10 ¼ g)
3. EPA Soil Regulations: - 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)
4. Lab sampling technique: - AAS (Atomic Absorption Spectrometry) - Sample is
placed into a furnace and vaporized ... light is shone through to give a quantitative
result
5. XRF: - 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
6. LBP Hazard: ANY condition that causes exposure to lead
7. LBP inspection: a surface-by-surface investigation to determine the presence of
lead
8. CPSC: - 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
9. True/False: Dust sampling only done for hazard assessments: True; only
risk assessors take samples to determine likelihood of coming into contact with
contaminants
10. What kind of sampling must be done for inspections?: Random ... repeats
must be annotated then you move onto the next
11. HUD Guidelines for abatement: Must last 20 years. Includes the following
procedures: - Removal - Enclosure - Replacement - Encapsulation Painting over is
a temporary fix!
12. Water standards for lead: - 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
13. Why was lead used so much?: - Durable - Colorful - Anti-corrosive - Anti-fungal
- Drying agent
1/8
, EPA Lead Inspector Questions And Answers
14. What does RRP do?: - Renovation, Repairing, and Painting program - Provided
enforcement to Title X in 2010 ... $37,500 fines for violation - Dust sampling techni-
cians can only sample for RRP projects
15. What must you do if a pre-1978 site is not tested?: Presume lead-based
paint.
16. Where is LBP still allowed?: Commercial purposes/boats
17. What are the major industrial uses of lead?: 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
18. What are the common pathways of contamination?: - 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)
19. Chronic vs. acute exposure: - Chronic: low dose, long period - Acute: high
dose, short period
20. How do you treat lead poisoning?: - 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 ¼g/dL
21. Where does lead contamination in water come from?: Solder, brass fittings
and fixtures, and service lines
22. How much lead is present in homes?: - 87% of homes pre-1940 - 69% of
homes pre-1960 - 24% of homes pre-1978
23. Who is responsible for investigating lead poisoning?: - Departments of
Health (DOH) - They can mandate abatement
24. T/F: Poor diet can exacerbate lead absorption: True. You want high calcium,
iron, and Vitamin C.
25. True/False: The association between lead dust and blood level has been
scientifically proven: True
26. Where does a house have the highest lead levels with respect to soil
sampling?: Dripline
27. What are friction, impact, and mallable surfaces?: - Friction: rub (floors) -
Impact: smash (doors, stairs) - Mallable: edible ... protrude more than 4 in
28. What is the chance of lead dust from high levels of LBP?: Twice as high
29. How much does water contribute to lead exposure for the average 2-year
old?: 5-50%
30. How much lead can infants on formula receive from water?: As much as
85%
2/8
1. Lead-based paint (LBP): 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
2. Dust sample clearance values: - Floors: 40 ¼ g / f t 2 > 10 ¼
g / f t 2 (10 ¼
g / f t 2 in NY) -
Windows: 250 ¼ g /ft2 > 100 ¼
g /ft2 (50 ¼
g /ft2 in NY) - Window wells (troughs): 400 ¼ g /ft2
(100 ¼ g / f t 2 in NY) - Samples must be at 1 sq ft > 2 sq ft (can be reduced to 1 sq ft if
within 10 ¼ g)
3. EPA Soil Regulations: - 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)
4. Lab sampling technique: - AAS (Atomic Absorption Spectrometry) - Sample is
placed into a furnace and vaporized ... light is shone through to give a quantitative
result
5. XRF: - 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
6. LBP Hazard: ANY condition that causes exposure to lead
7. LBP inspection: a surface-by-surface investigation to determine the presence of
lead
8. CPSC: - 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
9. True/False: Dust sampling only done for hazard assessments: True; only
risk assessors take samples to determine likelihood of coming into contact with
contaminants
10. What kind of sampling must be done for inspections?: Random ... repeats
must be annotated then you move onto the next
11. HUD Guidelines for abatement: Must last 20 years. Includes the following
procedures: - Removal - Enclosure - Replacement - Encapsulation Painting over is
a temporary fix!
12. Water standards for lead: - 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
13. Why was lead used so much?: - Durable - Colorful - Anti-corrosive - Anti-fungal
- Drying agent
1/8
, EPA Lead Inspector Questions And Answers
14. What does RRP do?: - Renovation, Repairing, and Painting program - Provided
enforcement to Title X in 2010 ... $37,500 fines for violation - Dust sampling techni-
cians can only sample for RRP projects
15. What must you do if a pre-1978 site is not tested?: Presume lead-based
paint.
16. Where is LBP still allowed?: Commercial purposes/boats
17. What are the major industrial uses of lead?: 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
18. What are the common pathways of contamination?: - 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)
19. Chronic vs. acute exposure: - Chronic: low dose, long period - Acute: high
dose, short period
20. How do you treat lead poisoning?: - 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 ¼g/dL
21. Where does lead contamination in water come from?: Solder, brass fittings
and fixtures, and service lines
22. How much lead is present in homes?: - 87% of homes pre-1940 - 69% of
homes pre-1960 - 24% of homes pre-1978
23. Who is responsible for investigating lead poisoning?: - Departments of
Health (DOH) - They can mandate abatement
24. T/F: Poor diet can exacerbate lead absorption: True. You want high calcium,
iron, and Vitamin C.
25. True/False: The association between lead dust and blood level has been
scientifically proven: True
26. Where does a house have the highest lead levels with respect to soil
sampling?: Dripline
27. What are friction, impact, and mallable surfaces?: - Friction: rub (floors) -
Impact: smash (doors, stairs) - Mallable: edible ... protrude more than 4 in
28. What is the chance of lead dust from high levels of LBP?: Twice as high
29. How much does water contribute to lead exposure for the average 2-year
old?: 5-50%
30. How much lead can infants on formula receive from water?: As much as
85%
2/8
