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Rapid New Methods for Paint Collection and Lead Extraction
Citation:
Gutknecht, W. F., S. L. HARPER, W. Winstead, K. Sorrell, D. A. Binstock, C. A. Salmons, C. Haas, M. McCombs, W. Studabaker, C. V. Wall, AND C. Moore. Rapid New Methods for Paint Collection and Lead Extraction. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING. Royal Society of Chemistry, Cambridge, Uk, 11(1):166-173, (2008).
Impact/Purpose:
The National Exposure Research Laboratory′s (NERL) Human Exposure and Atmospheric Sciences Division (HEASD) conducts research in support of EPA′s mission to protect human health and the environment. HEASD′s research program supports Goal 1 (Clean Air) and Goal 4 (Healthy People) of EPA′s strategic plan. More specifically, our division conducts research to characterize the movement of pollutants from the source to contact with humans. Our multidisciplinary research program produces Methods, Measurements, and Models to identify relationships between and characterize processes that link source emissions, environmental concentrations, human exposures, and target-tissue dose. The impact of these tools are improved regulatory programs and policies for EPA.
Description:
Chronic exposure of children to lead (Ph) can result in permanent physiologic impairment. In adults, it can cause irritability, poor muscle coordination, and nerve damage to the sense organs and nerves controlling the body. Surfaces coated with Pb-containing paints are potential sources of exposure to Ph. In January 2007, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed new requirements that would reduce exposure to Ph hazards created by renovation, repair, and painting activities, which disturb Ph-based paint. On-site, inexpensive identification of Pb-based paint is required. Two steps have been taken to meet this challenge. First, this paper presents a new, highly efficient method for paint collection that is based on the use of a modified wood drill bit. Second, this paper presents a novel, one-step approach for quantitatively grinding and extracting Pb from paint samples for subsequent Pb determination. This latter method is based on the use of a high revolutions-per-minute rotor with stator to break up the paint into approximately 50 micron size particles. Nitric acid (25%, v/v) is used to extract the Pb in less than 3 minutes. Recoveries are consistently greater than 95% for real-world paints, National Institute of Standards and Technology's standard reference materials and audit samples from the American Industrial Hygiene Association's Environmental Lead Proficiency Analytical Testing Program. This quantitative extraction procedure, when paired with quantitative paint sample collection and Pb determination, may enable the development of a Pb paint test kit that will meet the specifications of the proposed EPA rule.
