Lead in paint in your home – what you need to know

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Lead in paint your home – what you need to know

 

Was your home built before 1978? If so there is a good chance it has lead-based paint. Lead paint is still present in millions of homes and sometimes under layers of newer paint. Here’s what you need to know if you find lead paint in your home.

 

Lead paint is usually not a problem, providing that the paint is in good shape. Deteriorating lead-based paint – for example peeling, chipping, chalking, cracking, damaged or damp – is however a hazard and will need immediate attention.

 

Where is it found?

 

As well as being found under layers of newer paints, it can also be hazardous when found on surfaces that get a lot of wear-and-tear. For example windows and window sills, doors and door frames, stairs, railings, banisters, skirting boards and porches.

 

Lead is naturally occurring, and can be found in high concentrations in some areas for example soil, gardens and playgrounds.

 

In a well-maintained home, lead in dust can still be an issue. When lead-based paint is scraped, canned or heated during DIY activities lead dust can form.

 

Lead can also be found in many products including, painted toys, furniture, toy jewellery, food or liquid containers, cosmetic and plumbing products.

 

Drinking water can also be affected by lead, it can enter drinking water through corrosed pipes.

 

Who’s at risk?

 

Children and adults, including pregnant women, are at risk from lead poisoning. Lead is particularly dangerous to children because their growing bodies absorb more lead than adults do. Children’s brains and nervous systems are more sensitive to the damaging effects of lead.

 

A pregnant woman’s exposure to lead is of particular concern because it can result in exposure to her developing baby.

 

How to lower the risk from lead paint and make your home safe

 

There are many simple steps that will go a long way in preventing lead exposure, for example:

 

  • inspect and maintain all painted surfaces to prevent paint deterioration
  • keep your home clean and dust-free
  • clean around painted areas where friction can generate dust, such as doors, windows, and drawers
  • wash children’s hands, bottles, and toys often
  • encourage children to wipe and remove their shoes and wash hands after playing outdoors.

 

How Envirochem can help with lead paint

It is important to have your home tested for lead if it was built before 1978. There are two ways to get your home checked, the first is a paint inspection.

 

We have 25 years experience in assessing chemical risks in buildings. When our team conducts a paint inspection, they are able to tell you the lead content of every different type of painted surface in your home. However from a paint inspection we are unable to tell you if the paint is a hazard. This test is appropriate when you are buying or renting a homeland before you do any DIY, and will help you to determine how to maintain your house for lead safety.

 

The second test that our team can carry out for your home is a risk assessment. This test allows our team to tell you if there are any sources of serious lead exposure such as peeling paint and lead dust. We will then provide you with information on what actions to take to address the hazards.

 

Get in touch with our team today to discover how our services can help keep you safe.

 

How dust sampling can save construction companies from fines?

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How dust sampling can save construction companies from fines?

Dust is an unavoidable part of construction and demolition. However, processes can be put in place to reduce the amount of dust contamination and risk to the surrounding environment. Close and real-time dust sampling plays an important role in this.

Here’s how:

Dust sampling clears a construction company from wrong doing

Dust sampling proved critical for a construction company working at a hospital in Inverness[http://www.scottishconstructionnow.com/24142/contractor-cleared-causing-dust-contamination-inverness-hospital/] recently. A number of operations at the hospital had to be postponed after dust was found in the operating theatres.

Initially it was thought the dust was coming from building work happening in the hospital but testing revealed that this was not the direct source, clearing the construction company of causing the contamination and having to pay a hefty penalty.

Dust sample testing

This case study demonstrates how important it is to have real-time monitoring of dust at construction sites, both for the assurance of the client and contractor. There are a couple of different types of monitoring available:

  • Static monitors – these can be placed almost anywhere, and can collect physical samples of airborne dust particles. This data can be used to see how much dust individual site operatives are exposed to, or be analysed to determine chemical composition of airborne particles.
  • Settleable dust sampling – static samplers collect airborne dust and measure how much has gathered over a time period. Samples can also be analysed to determine their chemical composition.

At Environchem we have decades of experience in providing both types of dust sampling and monitoring to contractors. For information on our services please fill out the contact form below or call us on 01329 287 777.

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Metal content analysis for landfill acceptance

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Metal content analysis for landfill acceptance

Recently at Envirochem we have noticed that more and more landfills are requesting additional testing along with the normal Landfill Waste Acceptance Criteria test (WAC test or Leachate test). Typically these include: metal content of air dried sample, speciated TPHs (total petroleum hydrocarbons, either as banded or aliphatic/aromatic split) and speciated PAHs (polyaromatic hydrocarbons).

Envirochem laboratories offer these services to their clients; therefore, we would advise contacting the landfill site or waste receiver to check if the additional analysis is required to save you time. We will always retain samples for a period of time and can carry out additional testing at short notice.

If you would like to contact Envirochem regarding our services please fill out the attached form or call us on 01329 287777

 

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Landfill Waste Acceptance Criteria (WAC).

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At Envirochem, we have been experiencing an increase in requests for soil and waste samples to be analysed to ascertain whether they can be disposed of at landfill, which requires adherence to certain Landfill Waste Acceptance Criteria (WAC).

The Landfill Directive is an EU directive which is designed to regulate the use of landfill sites and, most importantly, what is dumped at each site. The Landfill Directive’s overall aim is “to prevent or reduce as far as possible negative effects on the environment, in particular the pollution of surface water, groundwater, soil and air, and on the global environment, including the greenhouse effect, as well as any resulting risk to human health, from the land filling of waste, during the whole life-cycle of the landfill”. For a landfill site to adhere to this directive, waste to be dumped at the site must have a certificate showing that it is not too contaminated. An example of a certificate would be a WAC certificate. Please note that some landfill sites require additional testing to a standard WAC suite, such as a digest for metals.

In addition to the Landfill Waste Acceptance Criteria test (WAC test or Leachate test), there are guidances, such as the WM3 guidance, to help in the classification process of hazardous waste and to inform individuals what analysis they will require.

The requirement for WAC testing can depend on a number of different factors such as sample type, location and history of the site; therefore it is common for different samples to have a slightly different scheme of analysis. Because of this, Envirochem offers a wide range of soil and waste tests which include, but are not limited to, metals content; anions; speciated TPH and PAH; BTEX; PCBs; and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) which allows us to provide a bespoke scheme of analysis to meet the needs of clients from a vast range of industries.

 

We can do WAC testing on a turnaround of 7 days, 5 days or 3 days depending on your needs. (Cost apply faster turnarounds).

 

For more information please fill out the form or call us on 01329 287 777;

 

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‘Air Change per hour’

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‘Air changes per hour’ is the number of times the air is replaced in a defined space each hour. The number of these air changes that are required for a specific space is defined by its use. For example, the HSE guidance note EH22 ‘ventilation of the workplace’ requires 8 air changes per hour with a minimum requirement of 3 air changes per hour.

Guidance also recommends an air supply of 8 litres/second per person for open plan offices and a minimum of 5 litres/second per person for air conditioned spaces.

The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992, regulation 5 requires that ventilation systems are appropriately maintained in an efficient state and working order. Regulation 6 requires that you ensure effective ventilation for any enclosed workplace by providing a sufficient quantity of fresh air.

We can combine an air change test within a full air quality survey for work spaces to include particulate monitoring, bio-aerosols and VOC’s as well.

 

For more information please call on 01329287777 or fill out the form below;

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Wood Burning Stove Pollution in London

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Wood burning stoves could be banned in our capital in certain highly polluted areas. The burning of wood releases fine particles that are harmful to human health. It is noted that some exceptions may be made for the more modern and efficient wood burning stoves with the main focus on reducing inefficient open fires.

This is part of a wider plan to improve air quality in London through limiting emissions from boats, cars, diesel powered machinery from building sites and from construction work itself.

Read more about it here: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/sadiq-khan-ban-wood-burning-stoves-london-air-pollution-fires-mayor-smog-a7973576.html

Here at Enviorchem, we can carry out Emissions testing and Air quality surveys;

For more information please give us a call on 01329 287 777 or fill out the form below;

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VOC’s in the Workplace

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VOC’s in the Workplace

Volatile organic compounds are often found in paints, cleaning agents, fuels and sealants that are common products around the workplace and at home. Impacts from exposure to these chemicals can range from mild symptoms of nausea, headaches and skin irritations to serious consequences of damage to the kidneys, liver and central nervous systems.

If you are concerned that exposure is causing harm to you or your employees we can provide monitoring to identify whether concentrations are above harmful levels.   

Read more about VOC’s in the workplace here: http://www.safetyandhealthmagazine.com/articles/9834-controlling-voc-exposure-in-the-workplace

 

For more information on this service or all our services please call on 01329 287 777 or fill out the form below;

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Construction pollution

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A construction company based in Leeds was fined £120,000 for illegally discharging contaminated waters into a stream back in November. Polluted water was identified as flowing out the site entrance and silt contaminated waters from excavation works into the local watercourse. Impacts of these discharges were identified up to three kilometres downstream.

Read more about the construction pollution here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/harron-homes-fined-120000-over-construction-pollution

If you are worried that your construction works or constructions works you know of are polluting the local environment, let us help you in sampling and analysis to identify any issues and reduce the impact as quickly as possible.

For more information or enquires please call on 01329 287 777 or fill out the form below;

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Indoor construction dust

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Conducting construction work inside raises a new set of challenges, especially when working around sensitive equipment that can be adversely impacted by dust.

Recently we help monitor dust levels before, during and after works that were carried out over night to limit the impact on daytime production in the factory. With the data we collected we were able to identify when dust levels had reduced to acceptable levels to resume normal work and how long this settlement took.

We also undertook additional monitoring of total inhalable dust, respirable dust and silica content that the construction workers were being exposed during their work.

For more information on this and all our other services please call on 01329 287 777 or fill out the form below;

 

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Sulphide

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Sulphide is an inorganic ion of sulphur; it is the simplest ion and is a very strong base. Aqueous solutions of transition metals cations react with sulphide to make precipitates. These precipitates can act as pigments, solar cells and as catalysts. When some mineral sulphides are exposed to gastric acids hydrogen sulphide is produced. Hydrogen Sulphide, some of its salts and most organic sulphides have a strong putrid stench.

 

At Envirochem we test for sulphide using colourmetrics.

 

For more information on this service, please fill out the form below or call on 01329 287 777

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