D-Lead Paint Test Kits come with everything you need to evaluate painted surfaces in your home, including sanitizing wipes, paint scoring and scraping tools, a chip catcher tray, 2 types of testing solution, and a waste bag for safe disposal. You may also be able to track down an EPA-certified lead testing kit at your local hardware shop or home improvement center.
You might also consider wearing long sleeved clothing and lab goggles or another form of eye protection in order to minimize your exposure as much as possible.
D-Lead Paint Test Kits can be used on both hard surfaces, like hardwood and trim, and soft ones, like drywall. Standard kits include enough sanitizing swabs (and other testing materials) for about 6 individual uses.
Areas like interior corners, closets, and baseboard borders make good test sites, as they’re not immediately visible. There’s also less risk of further chipping or peeling than in frequently-used areas. Be sure to make your initial cut fairly deep to scrape away multiple layers of paint—it’s possible that an old coat of lead paint could have been painted over with a non-lead variety.
Don’t attempt to pick up your paint sample by hand or use any other items to brush it off of the chip catcher tray. Doing so could contaminate the sample and consequently throw off your results.
If you proceed with the test before waiting a full 2 minutes, your final results may be inaccurate.
Don’t forget to confirm that the cap is on nice and tight before shaking. Solution 2 contains the active lead indicator that will tell you whether there’s lead present in the paint sample you collected.
When the 2 test solutions are mixed, lead-tainted paint will cause them to take on a dull yellow color. If you discover unsafe levels of lead in your home, your next step will be to contact an EPA-certified risk assessor for further inspection or possible removal.
Assuming the solution is still a light yellow at the end of the 10 minute interval, it means that your sample is negative for lead, or contains an amount that’s considered non-hazardous. It’s necessary to re-test light-colored solutions because adding Solution 2 to the test solution can sometimes introduce a slight yellow hue.
If you have small children or pets who could find their way into the trash, deposit your testing materials in an outdoor receptacle a safe distance from your home.
You can purchase 3M Lead Check Swabs online and at some hardware stores and home improvement centers. A single package contains enough single-use swabs for multiple tests. They are sold in sets of 2, 8, or 48. Test swabs are generally considered the fastest and most reliable way to confirm that a given surface contains lead.
You’ll hear a crinkling sound when you’ve successfully crushed the activator points.
The main ingredient in 3M Lead Check Swabs is rhodizonate, a sensitive lead indicator which is capable of detecting lead in traces as small as 600 parts-per-million.
Lead test swabs may not work as well on porous or irregular surfaces, such as raw stone, metal grating, or painted wicker. If you’re testing a painted surface, remove a thin section of the outer coat to expose the underlying layers before you apply the swab. That way, you’ll be be able to identify contaminated paint that’s since been covered.
Always use a separate swab for each individual surface or material you test to avoid cross-contamination and ensure clear, dependable results. Keep in mind that it’s possible for the rhodizonate in 3M Lead Check Swabs to produce false positive results when used on red or pink surfaces.
In-home analysis is the most effective form of lead testing, as it’s carried out by qualified specialists in a controlled laboratory setting.
Use a clean, sterile glass or plastic container to collect your sample. Unsuitable containers may already contain chemical or biological contaminants that could make analysis difficult. To guarantee fast, accurate results, be sure to overnight your sample or hand-deliver it to the testing facility yourself. Once testing is complete, you’ll be sent a detailed copy of your water analysis report by mail. It may take up to 2-3 weeks for you to receive the results. [18] X Research source
Most instead lead water testing kits cost an average of around $15-30. If you live in a large city where water quality is an issue, it may also be possible to order an at-home testing kit from your local water supplier or municipal authority free of charge.
Samples gathered first thing in the morning are known as “first-draw” water. Since this water has been sitting in your pipes for so long, it will contain the highest concentrations of lead and other toxins.
Some water testing kits include test strips for a variety of different substances. If your kit contains more than 1 type of test strip, make sure you’re using the one that corresponds to lead.
One downside to instant lead water testing kits is that they only give positive or negative results rather than a more exact parts-per-million reading. This means it’s possible that the water in your home could contain some concentration of lead that doesn’t show up in the test.
