EPA Lead Inspector exam
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-tomouth 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
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