Envirochem were recently approached by an individual client who requested a Lead in paint survey be carried out on a property they wanted to purchase.

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Envirochem were recently approached by an individual client who requested a Lead in paint survey be carried out on a property they wanted to purchase.

An individual client used Envirochems website to contact us and to request a Lead in paint survey on a property they wanted to purchase in Reigate. The client had a Home-buyers Report carried out on the property they wanted to purchase and it was highlighted that due to the age of the property, Lead paint may have been used in the decoration of the building. With concerns of the Lead content in paint and with a young child, the client wanted the paint from various areas of the building checked before remediation works are carried out within the property. With the aid of the client, sampling areas were agreed and scrapings from various surfaces were taken of the paint, labelled and bagged and taken back to the laboratory from analysis. Paint sampled are digested in Aqua Regia using microwave digestion and subsequently analysed by Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrophotometry (ICP-OES) using our UKAS accredited procedure (please note, Envirochem are only accredited for the analysis of Lead in paint and not the sampling of lead in paint). A report was subsequently produced to report the results.

Envirochem can carry out a variety of paint analysis for individual home buyers and other clients. If you require any of our chemical analysis services, occupational hygiene services, asbestos or microbiological services, please contact us on 01329-287777, or fill out the form below;

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Occupational hygiene monitoring during lead roof removal works

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Envirochem were approached by a new client who required occupational hygiene monitoring during lead roof removal works at a historic building in Winchester.

The client was carrying out roof remediation works on a building in the historic town of Winchester. The process involved removing the old lead roofing used many years ago and replacing to improve the quality and look of the roof. During this work, employees are potentially exposed to lead fragments and dust through breathing and skin contact which can have health effects. Envirochem monitored the activity by placing static and personal inhalable dust monitors in locations where the lead removal activities are taking place to discover the general inhalable dust levels in the atmosphere and then later digested the filter and analysed the digestate on the inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrophotometer to discover the lead content of the dust. These results can be used to inform the health and safety department of dust levels in the atmosphere and whether further measures are needed to be put in place to suppress dust and protect employees with specific personal protective equipment (PPE).

Envirochem carry out a wide range of occupational hygiene, chemical, microbiological and asbestos services during all types of construction activities and in other scenarios. Please contact us if you have any questions on this;

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Monitoring in Listed Buildings

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Alongside the work Envirochem carry out on construction and demolition sites and other industries, we have recently been required to work at a grade 1 listed building in a historic town in Hampshire.

During installation of a new lift, contractors were concerned of the exposure of their employees to inhalable dust and potential metals released from the materials used to build this building back in 1090. After chemical testing of materials to be taken as waste in our UKAS accredited laboratory, it was discovered that a high lead content was found. This resulted in the need for a continued monitoring program while excavation works are carried out of the listed building.

Using our UKAS accredited procedure, Envirochem are carrying out static and personal monitoring for total inhalable dusts to ensure workplace exposure limits are not exceeded. We are also testing the exposed filters for lead content to monitor the levels of lead in dust released as a result of these excavation works.

Envirochem’s care and ethical approach ensure works in sensitive buildings are carried out in a careful, safe and sincere approach. If you require monitoring of any sort in a listed building or any other building or site, please contact Envirochem for more information using the form below

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Somerset soil contaminated with Lead, Zinc and Arsenic

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Residential gardens as well as agricultural land, in the Mendip area of Somerset, have been tested for Lead. The results showed lead contamination at levels over 40 times the level considered dangerous to humans (56,000mg/kg being found in agricultural land).    The main risk to local residents is through exposure to dust from the soil and the consumption of local chicken eggs. Local live stock have been affected with 20 cattle dying from lead poisoning.

Remediation in the form of ‘capping’ has begun, with four properties being decontaminated.

For the full story click here

Envirochem’s chemical department offer a wide array of soil analysis, if you would like to enquire please fill in the form below.

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Plans to Develop a Cycle Track in Kearsley Contested Due to Contaminated Land

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The development of unused land in Kearsley into a new cycle track was met with controversy as it emerged that the land is an old landfill site, contaminated with many toxic chemicals and materials  including copper, zinc, arsenic, lead and asbestos.

Residents claim that those local to the area are aware of the dangers of the sites and that the land is best left alone. However a member of the council’s cabinet for the environment has stated that the land would only be developed after a contamination expert had visited the site to clean the site. He also pointed out that it is common practice to develop on old contaminated lands, after appropriate remediation.

For the full story click here

Envirochem offer testing for many contaminants, if you would like to enquire please fill in the attached form.

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Toxic Chemicals Found in Some Halloween Face Paints

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Tests have shown that several face paints contain  a variety of toxic chemicals including Lead, Cadmium and VOCs (volatile organic compounds) such as benzene. Advice for parents at Halloween is to preferably avoid the use of face paints and cosmetics, if they are to use them try and use organic or plant based brands.

 

For more on the story click HERE

Envirochem tests for many hazardous chemicals. To inquire fill in the form below

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Envirochem Now Holds UKAS Accreditation For Lead And Chromium In Paint

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We are excited to announce that our laboratory is now UKAS accredited for Lead (Pb) and Chromium (Cr) in paint testing.

If you would like to read more about this please fill in the attached form or call Envirochem’s chemical department on 01329 287 777

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Some Parks in Bristol Contain High Levels of Lead in Paint

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Many parks contain paint with dangerous metals in them. Six parks in Bristol have recently been tested and and half had ‘high levels’ of lead in paint. It has been advised that children should wash their hands after playing in such parks.

 

For more on the story click HERE

 

Envirochem offer many chemical tests including lead in paint. If you would like to inquire please fill in the form below

 

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