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Ellen Tohn,¹ Sherry Dixon,² Ron Rupp,³ and Scott Clark⁴

¹ERT Associates, Chevy Chase, Maryland, USA
²National Center For Lead-Safe Housing, Columbia, Maryland, USA
³Vermont Housing and Conservation Board, Montpelier, Vermont, USA
⁴University of Cincinnati, Department of Environmental Health, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA

Abstract

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) guidelines on lead hazard control instruct contractors to clean floors, windows, walls, ceilings, and other horizontal surfaces to remove lead-contaminated dust and debris after lead interventions are conducted. This dust removal activity adds costs to each project. The need to clean floors and windows is well documented in the HUD guidelines. However, there is substantially less documentation to support the recommendation to clean walls and ceilings. We examined whether it is necessary to clean walls and ceilings after lead hazard control (LHC) interventions by comparing dust lead loadings measured on these surfaces before an LHC intervention to dust lead loadings after the intervention. Twenty-two dwelling units undergoing substantial LHC measures consistent with the HUD guidelines were enrolled in the study. There was a significant increase in dust lead loading on walls and ceilings between the pre- and postintervention. The change in wall dust lead loading was substantial and created potentially harmful lead exposures. Although statistically significant, the change in ceiling dust lead loading was minimal and the postintervention dust lead loadings were far below the existing federal floor dust lead clearance standard. These results strongly support the recommendations in the HUD guidelines to clean walls after LHC interventions and do not provide sufficient justification to alter the current recommendation to clean ceilings after lead work. Key words: lead dust, lead hazards, lead paint, lead poisoning, wall and ceiling dust lead. Environ Health Perspect 108:453-456 (2000) . [Online 30 March 2000]

http://ehpnet1.niehs.nih.gov/docs/2000/108p453-456tohn/ abstract.html

Address correspondence to E. Tohn, ERT Associates 4608 DeRussey Parkway, Chevy Chase, MD 20815-5332 USA. Telephone: (301) 437-8597. Fax: (301) 652-5378. E-mail: etohn@aol.com

We acknowledge the research contributions of J. Wilson, W. Galke, J. Breysse, and S. Roda in the preparation of this manuscript.

This work was funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (grant MDLR005-94) and the National Center for Lead-Safe Housing.

Received 6 July 1999 ; accepted 10 December 1999.