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Lead In Your Home At Neilson Research Corporation, our Metals Laboratory uses advanced technology to test for the presence of lead in your household. Many homes built prior to 1978 contain lead-based paint, and when disturbed, lead can contaminate surrounding soil and water. In addition to lead-based paint, drinking water can become contaminated if there are lead pipes or lead-based solder. Food and liquids stored in lead crystal and lead-glazed pottery or porcelain are additional sources of lead contamination. If you plan to remodel or repaint your home, plant a garden, or use well water, you should check for lead contamination. Follow these steps: For paint, choose an inconspicuous location and collect a sample by scraping a four-inch square section of wall or doorframe directly into a zippered baggie. For soil, collect approximately one cupful of soil into a baggie or jar. For water, collect one pint in a clean plastic or glass container. When a sample arrives at the lab, our experienced technicians follow a complex set of operating procedures. The sample is digested in acid, concentrated, then run through an ICP or an ICPMS. The inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer uses light waves to compare your sample to known concentrations of lead in solution. Our facility, equipment, quality control measures and knowledgeable staff assure the accuracy of your results. Lead Poisoning Lead is a heavy metal that has no known biological role in the body. When ingested, lead mimics important metals like calcium, iron, and zinc, and can bind to and interact with the same proteins and molecules as these metals. After displacement, those molecules function differently and fail to carry out the same reactions. For example, lead poisoning can disrupt the biosynthesis of hemoglobin and has been shown to interfere with a neuroreceptor essential for the conversion of short-term memory to long-term memory. Lead exposure is highly detrimental to young children since growing bodies absorb more lead than adults, and their brains and nervous systems are more sensitive to the damaging effects. Children with high levels of lead in their bodies can suffer from brain and nervous system damage, behavioral and learning problems, slowed growth, hearing problems and headaches. Adults exposed to high levels of lead can suffer from reproductive problems, high blood pressure, digestive problems, nerve disorders, memory and concentration problems, and muscle and joint pain. Lead Safety If lead paint is confirmed or suspected, special precautions should be taken to minimize exposure to contamination: Keep everyone, especially children, pregnant women, and including pets outside of the work area until cleanup is completed. Divide work into small project areas so the amount of lead dust can be controlled. Wear a properly fitted NIOSH-certified respirator. Dust masks will not provide sufficient protection from lead contaminated dust. Wear protective clothing to keep dust off the skin. Launder these items separately from non-contaminated clothing. Do not eat, drink, or smoke in or near the work area. Neilson Research Corporation can test for the presence of lead in your home or in any sample of concern. For more information about the hazards of lead in your home, visit the EPA website at www.epa.gov/lead | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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