Lead paint test kits

http://media.wsls.com/wsls/images/uploads/generic-business.jpg

Published: August 19, 2008

Lead can cause serious health problems, including damage to the brain and nervous system. Young children are especially at risk. While lead-based paint was banned in the U.S. in 1978, every home built before then probably has some. To help you check out your house, Consumer Reports just evaluated do-it-yourself lead test kits.

Three staffers tried out home lead paint kits. Consumer Reports also ran lab tests on the seven kits, costing between $8 and $30. All the kits tested detected lead down to 2,000 parts per million. And none made any false identifications of lead.

To use most of the kits, you cut through the layers down to the base paint. Then check the painted surface. If lead is present, there will be a color change. Choose a kit that turns a different color than paint that you’re testing, so you can tell if lead has been detected.

Consumer Reports says some good choices are the Abotex lead test kit, which turns black, and the LeadCheck kit, which turns red.

If your home tests positive for lead paint, hire a certified inspector to confirm that you have lead. If necessary, hire someone with special training to cover up or remove the lead. You can locate a certified lead inspector and lead-removal expert on the Environmental Protection Agency’s Web site: http://cfpub.epa.gov/flpp/search.cfm?Applicant_Type=FIRM.

Consumer Reports has no commercial relationship with any advertiser or sponsor appearing on this Web site.