EPA LEAD INSPECTOR EXAM AND ACTUAL EXAM 110
QUESTIONS WITH CORRECT DETAILED ANSWERS WITH
RATIONALES|AGRADE
Lead-based paint (LBP) - 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 - 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 - 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 - ANSWER: - AAS (Atomic Absorption Spectrometry) - Sample
is placed into a furnace and vaporized ... light is shone through to give a quantitative
result
XRF - 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 - ANSWER: ANY condition that causes exposure to lead
LBP inspection - ANSWER: a surface-by-surface investigation to determine the
presence of lead
CPSC - 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 - 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? - ANSWER: Random ... repeats
must be annotated then you move onto the next
HUD Guidelines for abatement - ANSWER: Must last 20 years. Includes the following
procedures: - Removal - Enclosure - Replacement - Encapsulation Painting over is a
temporary fix!
, Water standards for lead - 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? - ANSWER: - Durable - Colorful - Anti-corrosive - Anti-
fungal - Drying agent
What does RRP do? - 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? - ANSWER: Presume lead-based
paint.
Where is LBP still allowed? - ANSWER: Commercial purposes/boats
What are the major industrial uses of lead? - 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? - 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 - ANSWER: - Chronic: low dose, long period - Acute: high
dose, short period
How do you treat lead poisoning? - 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? - ANSWER: Solder, brass
fittings and fixtures, and service lines
How much lead is present in homes? - ANSWER: - 87% of homes pre-1940 - 69% of
homes pre-1960 - 24% of homes pre-1978
Who is responsible for investigating lead poisoning? - ANSWER: - Departments of
Health (DOH) - They can mandate abatement
T/F: Poor diet can exacerbate lead absorption - ANSWER: True. You want high
calcium, iron, and Vitamin C.
QUESTIONS WITH CORRECT DETAILED ANSWERS WITH
RATIONALES|AGRADE
Lead-based paint (LBP) - 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 - 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 - 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 - ANSWER: - AAS (Atomic Absorption Spectrometry) - Sample
is placed into a furnace and vaporized ... light is shone through to give a quantitative
result
XRF - 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 - ANSWER: ANY condition that causes exposure to lead
LBP inspection - ANSWER: a surface-by-surface investigation to determine the
presence of lead
CPSC - 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 - 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? - ANSWER: Random ... repeats
must be annotated then you move onto the next
HUD Guidelines for abatement - ANSWER: Must last 20 years. Includes the following
procedures: - Removal - Enclosure - Replacement - Encapsulation Painting over is a
temporary fix!
, Water standards for lead - 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? - ANSWER: - Durable - Colorful - Anti-corrosive - Anti-
fungal - Drying agent
What does RRP do? - 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? - ANSWER: Presume lead-based
paint.
Where is LBP still allowed? - ANSWER: Commercial purposes/boats
What are the major industrial uses of lead? - 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? - 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 - ANSWER: - Chronic: low dose, long period - Acute: high
dose, short period
How do you treat lead poisoning? - 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? - ANSWER: Solder, brass
fittings and fixtures, and service lines
How much lead is present in homes? - ANSWER: - 87% of homes pre-1940 - 69% of
homes pre-1960 - 24% of homes pre-1978
Who is responsible for investigating lead poisoning? - ANSWER: - Departments of
Health (DOH) - They can mandate abatement
T/F: Poor diet can exacerbate lead absorption - ANSWER: True. You want high
calcium, iron, and Vitamin C.
