Tuesday 31 December 2013

The Work Of A Lead Inspector In San Diego

By Marcia Marks


According to the Pb law, children must be protected from Pb poisoning, and every property owner must comply with the law. If a child happens to get Pb poisoning, it is the responsibility of the property owner even if he or she did not know about the Pb. To find about Pb, many homeowners hire a lead inspector in San Diego. This is a professional whose work is to carry out surface-to-surface investigation to determine the existence of Pb-based paint, nature and severity of Pb hazards.

The body reaction to such type of poisoning is dependent on the age being very severe in children and for adults it requires to be taken in large quantities to cause significant effects. Children will in most cases exhibit low IQ, learning disability, stunted growth and attention deficit disorders among others while adults will experience problems like nerve disorder, fertility problems, increased blood pressure and muscle and joint pains just to mention some. The sad part is that if no intervention is sought then the complications may result to fatality.

Detecting the presence of lead in your property is not a do-it-yourself task; it should be done by a well trained and experience person. What normally happens is that the professional will visit your home, collect samples from different parts of the building, and take them to the chemistry laboratory for analysis. It is good to note that not all labs can perform this analysis; only certified Pb analysis laboratories.

Sampling is the first and the most important aspect of Pb analysis, and care should be taken when undertaking this stage to yield the best results. There are three methods that are commonly used by Pb inspectors to sample property for Pb. The reason for using different method of sampling is because of the variations in the material used in construction.

Dust wipe sampling method is normally used for smooth, hard as well as nonporous surfaces. When using this method, it is important not to collect sample from textured surfaces like bricks. In addition, dust from carpets and cloth-covered furniture will not give good results so one should avoid these areas if possible. However, the best areas to sample include windowsills and floors. As a rule of thumb, personal protective equipment should be worn to avoid poisoning.

The other method is soil sampling. This is based on the fact that most peeling paint particles end up on the ground. This method is not that much reliable compared to dust wipe sampling. However, it is not requirement from the state and local authorities for compliance with hazardous waste regulations, but rather is vital for safety within home.

The other method is paint chip sampling. This method involves removing all layers of paint from a surface, down to the substrate. The person carrying out sampling should wear new latex gloves for each sample. The analysis reports the weight percentage of the lead in the paint.

After the analysis is complete, it is the responsibility of the lead inspector in San Diego to read and interpret the laboratory findings. The next cause of action is then determined by the report such that if Pb is present then it has to be dealt with appropriately to make the home free from it. After the necessary procedure is done then a repeat of the sampling is done to establish if the home is free of Pb.




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