EPA LEAD INSPECTOR EXAM PREP
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1.Lead-based paint (LBP): Any varnish, shallac, or coating that contains
either1.0 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 ¼g/ft2 > 10 ¼g/ft2 (10
¼g/ft2 in NY) – Windows: 250 g¼/ft2 > 100 ¼g/ft2 (50 ¼g/ft2 in NY) –
Window wells (troughs): 400 ¼g/ft2 (100 ¼g/ft2 in NY) – Samples must
be at 1 sq ft > 2 sq ft (can be reduced to 1 sq ft if within 10 ¼g)
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 try- ing 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!
EPA LEAD INSPECTOR EXAM PREP
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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
EPA LEAD INSPECTOR EXAM PREP
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13.Why was lead used so much?: – Durable – Colorful – Anti-corrosive –
Anti-fun- gal – Drying agent
14.What does RRP do?: – Renovation, Repairing, and Painting program –
Pro- vided enforcement to Title X in 2010 … $37,500 fines for violation
- Dust sampling technicians can only sample for RRP projects
15.What must you do if a pre-1978 site is not tested?: Presume leadbased 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