lead paint inspector reco (steel, environmental, problems)

[dallasdean]

I've seen 100+ kids harmed by lead from houses that real estate agents say don't worry about. This is because real estate agents are professionals in the buying and selling process. They are not experts in plumbing, foundation or environmental health (lead) issues.

1 in 3 mothers in Texas would be alarmed, if they would just have their child tested for lead in the blood. The vast majority of this comes from houses that have lead based paint and houses that have lead in the paint, but not at officially "lead based paint levels"

Don't listen to the chewed or eating chipped paint. Rarely is this the case. It is more likely from deteriorated (peeling, flaking, cracking, chalking ...) paint or from doors and windows being opened and closed.

Stick to your first gut reaction and get it tested by a professional.

[TexasHorseLady]

Where have you seen 100+ kids that you know were harmed by lead paint, just out of curiousity? I do see that your profession is lead inspector.

[austin-steve]

Originally Posted by dallasdean

I've seen 100+ kids harmed by lead from houses that real estate agents say don't worry about. ...

Where, in Dallas? Over what time frame and harmed in what way?

Not disputing you, just curious to know.

Steve

[south side chap]

Originally Posted by TexasHorseLady

Where have you seen 100+ kids that you know were harmed by lead paint, just out of curiousity? I do see that your profession is lead inspector.

Crikey THL, that's sharp. Realtors 1 - Lead Inspectors 0.

[BentBow]

This ....


New Federal Lead Renovation, Repair, and Painting Requirements | Builders Exchange of Alameda County

Lead: What You Can Do | US EPA


Contractors and real estate professionals need to beware.


I am a certified coating inspector. I have had a lot of inquires since this law took effect. No takers in the residential market, when they find out the cost, to actually have a certified individual do the testing. Most do it themselves, or send off a sample to Professional Testing Inc.

There are a few here in Central Texas.
Welding and coating inspector, almost always go together. If they have one, they usually have the other. Water tower and sewage treatment plants, refineries are the most common places you will find coating inspectors

[dallasdean]

Originally Posted by TexasHorseLady

Where have you seen 100+ kids that you know were harmed by lead paint, just out of curiousity? I do see that your profession is lead inspector.

I am also a Lead Risk Assessor. One of the things Risk Assessors do is find out the source that is causing a child's elevated blood lead level. Long story short, it is my job to see all these kids and find the problem.

[dallasdean]

Originally Posted by austin-steve

Where, in Dallas? Over what time frame and harmed in what way?

Not disputing you, just curious to know.

Steve

I work in the Dallas - Fort Worth area. Just a few months ago, the Dallas Morning News mentioned having over 40,000 children in the DFW area with harmful lead levels. So, I've only seen a small percentage of the overall problem.

[austin-steve]

Originally Posted by dallasdean

I work in the Dallas - Fort Worth area. Just a few months ago, the Dallas Morning News mentioned having over 40,000 children in the DFW area with harmful lead levels. So, I've only seen a small percentage of the overall problem.

Here's the article to which you refer.
40,000 Dallas-Fort Worth children under 6 have lead in blood, data shows | Dallas-Fort Worth Local Breaking News - News for Dallas, Texas - The Dallas Morning News

As with most sensationalized headlines, when you read deeper into the article you find that the headline is not factual, but a stretch of x1000 into a possible worst case scenario that doesn't even officially exist. It's bad journalism.

Last year 432 children under age 6 in Dallas, Tarrant, Collin and Denton counties had what are considered elevated levels of lead in their blood, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services. A level of at least 10 micrograms of lead per deciliter of blood is considered elevated.
But even low levels of lead are harmful to children’s developing brains. Data requested by The Dallas Morning News shows that 40,123 children under 6 in that four-county area have blood lead levels of at least 2.

2 is not the standard. The standard is 10. The headline of 40K is based on 2, which is a number disputed by many researchers who specialize in this topic

And of course the article is accompanied by this alarmist photo:


It's a good read though, if you know how to read through an agenda-based article and sort the facts from the hype.

I'm not discounting the problem, or saying it's not an important issue. But a typical buyer of a typical pre-1978 home in Austin TX, which never had a large industrial industy, ought not feel alarmed or deeply concerned that the home represents a danger to them or their family. If an individual buyer does want to be prudent and careful, there are simple tests that can be conducted, or someone like you can be hired.

DallasDean, what percentage of your tested homes reveal lead?

Steve

[clarksvillemom]

Home - found one, by the way

[dallasdean]

Originally Posted by austin-steve

The standard is 10.

Wrong again. This shows my point, that homeowners should not listen to real estate agents when it comes to environmental health issues. They offer their advice without knowing what they are talking about.

It is now any level. Right now resting on 5

The headline of 40K is based on 2, which is a number disputed by many researchers who specialize in this topic

Name a reputable researcher who doesn't think 2 causes a decrease in IQ, decrease in academic scores, a reduction in cognitive reasoning, increase in behavioral problems and an increase in attention deficient problems?

In fact, the latest research issued a few months ago shows that even less than 2 can cause problems.

The danger with not keeping up with info.

DallasDean, what percentage of your tested homes reveal lead?

EPA says 75%. CDC says 80% of pre-1978 homes.

You also need to remember that lead based paint is 1 mg/cm2. If you have 0.9 mg/cm2 of lead content in the paint ... it isn't lead based paint "officially", but it still can create high levels of lead dust.

I'll make a deal with you. If someone has a question about buying/selling, I won't pretend to be an expert. I will send them to you. Likewise, you may want to send buyers to an expert on lead to answer their questions.