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EPA Lead Inspector with 111 questions and 100% answers
Lead-based paint (LBP) - 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. Dust sample clearance values - - 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 - - 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 - - AAS (Atomic Absorption Spectrometry) - Sample is placed into a furnace and vaporized ... light is shone through to give a quantitative result XRF - - 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 - ANY condition that causes exposure to lead LBP inspection - a surface-by-surface investigation to determine the presence of lead 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
True/False: Dust sampling only done for hazard assessments - True; only risk assessors take samples to determine likelihood of coming into contact with contaminants What kind of sampling must be done for inspections? - Random ... repeats must be annotated then you move onto the next HUD Guidelines for abatement - Must last 20 years. Includes the following procedures: - Removal - Enclosure - Replacement - Encapsulation Painting over is a temporary fix! 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 Why was lead used so much? - - Durable - Colorful - Anti-corrosive - Anti-fungal - Drying agent What does RRP do? - - 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? - Presume lead-based paint. Where is LBP still allowed? - Commercial purposes/boats 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 ( in)) - Solder/pipes 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)
How much lead can infants on formula receive from water? - As much as 85% True/False: Lead has a purpose in the body - False; lead does nothing for the body Lead poisoning blood concentration - - For children: 5 μg/dL - For adults: 50 μg/dL How does lead travel through the body and for how long? - - Blood (30 days) - Soft tissues (60-90 days) - Bones (20-30 years) ... 95% of lead from an initial exposure gets stored in bones What body system does lead most affect? Least affect? - - Most affects central nervous system - Least affects lungs (point of entry) What is the ONLY way to know if someone is lead poisoned? - Blood lead level True/False: You can use prophylactic chelation to maintain someone's employment - False; chelation can only be used when blood lead reaches a certain threshold (45 μg/dL) What do you need to transport XRF analyzers? - - Paper documentation - Reciprocity (agreement to allow between states) Can you bring an XRF analyzer in a car ... what about a plane? - - Cars: Yes ... it must be tied down, you need a manifest, and you must keep it in line of sight- Planes: Yes IF properly packaged What is used to check level of radiation exposure? - - Dosimeter - Different types like electronic (instant reading) or body badges (after the fact) or thermoluminescent (TLDs ... after the fact) or ring badges - NEVER store near the XRF analyzer or ANYTHING with radiation (e.g. computers or TV) - Dosages MUST be reported monthly How often should you perform a leak test for XRF analyzers? - Every 6 months
How much energy is required for cobalt-57 to excite an electron? - 128 keV What are the units of measurement for radiation exposure? - rad = energy per unit of mass of material rem = rad * QF (quality factor) ... corrects for variables like the type of tissue Regulatory dose limits for radiation - - Whole body: 5 rem/year - Skin/extremities: 50 rem/year - Declared pregnant worker: 0.5 rem/gestation period What practice is in place with respect to maintaining levels of radiation exposure? - ALARA (As Low As Reasonably Achievable) - Minimize time - Maximize distance - Maximize shielding True/False: An XRF analyzer can take accurate readings from any surfaces - False; readings must be from flat surfaces PCS - Performance Characteristics Sheet = provides information on how to use an XRF analyzer Who calibrates an XRF analyzer? - - The manufacturer calibrates the machine - The inspector checks the calibration ... this is done the the start of a job, every 4 hours during the job, and at the end of a job. Involves THREE checks ... values must be filled out on a form. Positives must be between 0.8 and 1. mg/cm SRM - - Standard Reference Material = mylar (homogenous) lead coating of 1.02 mg/cm2 - Established by NIST (National Institute for Standards and Technology) What are the possible XRF readings? - - Positive: at or greater than 1.0 mg/cm2 - Negative: less than 1. mg/cm2 - Inconclusive: must take a paint chip sample or presume lead-based paint - Some analyzers do not give inconclusive readings because they operate with readings around a threshold level ... check PCS to know for sure!
Vicarious liability - Guilt by association (e.g. an employer is responsible for the actions of its employees) How long should an inspector retain records? - 20 years XRF protocol for risk assessors vs. lead inspectors - - Risk assessors only check non-intact surfaces (logic is that intact surfaces are not hazardous) - Inspectors check EVERYTHING What is the ultimate goal of clearing a project? - Ensure safety with respect to occupancy What are the steps to cleaning for visual inspections? - - HEPA (High Effienciency Particulate Air) vacuum
- Wash with TSP (trisodium phosphate) - HEPA vacuum again - If the preliminary inspection fails, cleaning must resume in accordance to the steps above. Final cleaning means the inspection passed. How long after the final cleaning can you collect dust samples? - 1 hour True/False: There is a safe lead level - False; there is no safe lead level. The standard for blood lead concentration keeps dropping because it should be ZERO. LBPPPA - - Lead-Based Paint Poisoning Prevention Act - Enacted in 1971 - Amended in 1973 to lower lead content by 0.5% then 0.6% - In 1976, limit was lowered to 0.06% unless CPSC determined 0.5% was safe - In 1977, 0.06% went into effect because CPSC didn't make the finding. - Dropped to 0.009% in
Title X - "- Enacted in 1992 by George Bush - Significantly amended LBPPPA - Established standards for three areas: 1) Inspection 2) Education 3) Disclosure ... involves giving a ""Protect Your Family from Lead"" pamphlet for target housing ... MUST obtain form acknowledgment. For purchases, the buyer has to get an inspection within 10 days - Inspectors must know ALL regulations and apply the most stringent one"
What is the OSHA regulation for lead in construction? - 29 CFR 1926.62 - CFR (Code of Federal Regulations) - 29 = Agency (Department of Labor - OSHA) - 1926 = Industry (Construction) - 62 = Material (Lead) What are the OSHA lead levels? - - Action level = 30 μg/m3 ... triggers HAZCOM (hazardous communication) and training - PEL (Permissable Exposure Level) = 50 μg/m3 ... triggers above PLUS PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) - 50 μg/dL triggers medical removal and salary retention - If you're at child-bearing age, the limit is technically 25 μg/dL since you qualify for fertility testing ($20,000 a pop!) What is the OSHA general industry regulation for respirators? - 29 CFR 1910.134 - 29 = Agency (OSHA) - 1910 = Industry (General) - 134 = Material (Respiratory protection) What must be done to keep track of occupational exposures? - - Baseline exam - Authorization to wear a respirator - FEP (free erythrocyte protoporforin) / ZPP (zinc protoporforin) to determine past/chronic exposures RCRA - - Resource Conservation Recovery Act of 1976 - Classifies hazardous waste TCLP - - Toxic Characteristics Leachate Procedure - At 5 ppm, a substance being tested is classified as hazardous waste What must be done to wastewater? - - Captured, filtered, and checked to see if it is suitable for flushing
- If not suitable, solidify and send to hazardous waste facility How to prevent lead from getting into tap water? - Flush until water is cold Pipe standards for lead - - Less than 0.2 % for solder and flux - Less than 8% for other plumbing materials What is a composite sample? - Combined sample made up of various individual samples from the SAME type of component
True/False: Respirators do not need to be medically-authorized and fit-tested - False Donning/doffing - Putting on/taking off a respirator User seal check - Palm of hand covers exhalation valves of mask to see if there is leakage Negative pressure check - Palm of hand covers inhalation valaves to see if there's leakage Quantitative and qualitative fit tests - "- Done ONCE a year OR when the respirator brand, size, or type changes OR when someone gains or loses more than 10 pounds, has facial changes, or is considered incompetent or has issues with the mask. - Done by a competent person - Qualitative: Pass/Fail ... irritant smoke, isomelacetate - Quantitative: Numerical ... Port-a-Count of Dynatech machine will determine what goes into the mask - Can be asked to read the ""Rainbow Passage,"" grimace, open mouth, or do jumping jacks - Must be clean-shaven when wearing a respirator ... NO COSMETICS!" APF - Assigned Protection Factor ... level at which a mask protects the wearer ... WANT a high number Where does supplied air for a respirator come from? - A hose ... cannot be more than 300 ft What is the most protective respirator? - SCBA (Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus) - Supplies Grade-D air (O2 levels between 19.5 and 23.5 %, CO less than 10 ppm, CO2 less than 1000 ppm, and hydrocarbons less than 5 μg/m3) - Normal air we breathe is 20.5% O True/False: If you use a compressor to supply air, you don't need anything extra - False; you must have temperature and carbon monoxide alarms Who supplies and maintains a respirator? - - Employer supplies - Employee maintains ... clean with SOAP and WATER ... if disinfected, use 10% bleach ... NOTHING ELSE!
What can affect the seal on a respirator? - - Facial hair - Cosmetics - Glasses What determines required PPE? - - Type of work - SDS (Safety Data Sheet) ... part of UN's Global Harmonization System (removed the US from MSDS creation)) Who can analyze samples? - Labs with certification from NLLAP (National Lead Laboratory Accreditation Program) Who governs radiation safety? - Nuclear Regulatory Commission True/False: For multi-family housing, dwellings can be grouped together based on common materials or painting history - True True/False: Exteriors are considered rooms - True True/False: XRF results cannot be stored electronically - False; they can, but they MUST have a hard copy as well How to perform multi-family testing? - Read the chart, but important cutoffs at: - 11 for 1960-1977 - 21 for pre-1960 or unknown - Basically don't need to test all units What is the method to determine lead-negative/positive development-wide? - 15% decision flow chart What lead levels must replaced soil be at? - As close to 400 ppm as possible but not to exceed 800 ppm What is the point of visual inspection? - See if hazard control was properly implemented
