Test for Lead in Paint
Lead-based paint contains the heavy metal “lead”. Lead is generally added to paint to increase durability, make drying faster, make its fresh appearance last longer, and resist moisture to stop corrosion.
Lead is quite dangerous even though it improves the paint performance. Lead is a poisonous substance that affects people of all age groups; and one major source of lead-poisoning is lead paint. Mental dysfunction and irreversible brain damage may be caused by lead-poisoning. It also affects the growth of a fetus with a minute level of exposure. Common problems such as increase of blood pressure, irritability, reproduction malfunction, and improper muscle co-ordination may be caused by lead-poisoning in adults. With the help of some basic testing methodologies, it is possible to easily verify the presence of lead in paint or other lead-related hazards in the household. While doing renovation and repainting without taking care of proper safety measures, there is a chance of people getting lead-poisoned.
For preventing lead-poisoning, first and foremost thing to do is to determine if the house or the household contains any lead-based items. Dishware and other suspected surfaces must be tested. Three main approaches are adopted, namely lead hazard screen, risk assessment and lead-paint inspection.
Many home test kits are available nowadays in market, which come along with a do-it-yourself guide. But the Consumer Product Safety Commission of the United States has not yet approved and evaluated any of these products. These test kits help in detecting lead in paint, dust, soil, water, dishware, glasses, windows, floors, ceilings, walls and ceramics. The do-it-yourself home test kits are not only user-friendly but also efficient enough to accurately provide any lead-contamination information. The home lead test kits usually contain some non-toxic strips of paper which are chemically infused. Presence of lead on a surface up to a level of 5 ppm can be detected by getting the strips activated with water. The white test strips when put on a lead-containing surface and activated with water will instantly turn “red” if it finds a problem.
In case you happen to discover lead-based paint present in your house, it is advisable not to try to remove the paint yourself. It is advised to consult the local health department first and find out a lead-paint-removing expert. In fact you will find a lot of experts who can cover, replace or remove lead paint. Health professionals and government officials continuously keep on providing advice on removing lead-based paint.
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Test for lead in paint
Home lead test kits
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