Lead is a toxic metal that was used for many years in various products, including paint. An estimated 70 percent of the buildings in the United States constructed before 1960 contain lead-based paint (American Academy of Pediatrics, Lead Poisoning: From Screening to Primary Prevention, 1993). Childhood lead poisoning remains a major environmental health problem in the United States and the main exposure routes are the ingestion of lead based paint (LBP) chips or the inhalation of lead dust. Most commonly, LBP is found at windows and window sills; doors and door frames; railings or banisters; and porches.
OCW Environmental can provide licensed and certified lead inspectors to perform an evaluation of your home, office building, or industrial facility. Our trained professional will use a wide range of techniques during the evaluation including a visual inspection, screening with a portable x-ray fluorescence (XRF) device, and laboratory analysis of paint chip or dust wipe samples. We are LRRP (Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting) certified and have LRRP certified staff.
When LBP is identified and considered a risk to human health, OCW Environmental can provide a site-specific scope of work for the abatement and remediation of lead impacted materials. Remediation efforts may include:
- Removal of LBP from the building component
- Removal of the building component that is coated with LBP
- Enclosure of the building component
- Encapsulation of the building component
Removal of LBP from building components can be accomplished by use of chemical strippers, wet scraping, and the use of equipment with high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) vacuums.
