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Lead Paint Testing Information

Lead used for interior paint was banned by the federal government in 1978. The EPA has estimated that some 47 million homes in the USA contain some lead paint.  Lead content in paint has been as high as 20-50% by weight and was included to make the paint wear better.  Lead based paint has been used on everything from interior to exteriors of homes, furniture, toys and many other surfaces. Ingestion or inhalation of lead paint dust or chips can cause serious health problems such as severe anemia, kidney damage and permanent brain damage. Children and pregnant women are at the greatest risk.

It is important to determine if lead paint exists in your home and where it is located.  With this information you can determine what steps are necessary to reduce your exposure to this environmental pollutant. The greatest exposures will come from improperly removing lead based paint from surfaces through scraping, open-flame burning and sanding which will produce high concentrations of airborne lead dust. Lead particles can be tracked into the home by stepping on lead contaminated soil from the degradation of exterior lead based paint.  If you have children in a home with peeling and chipping paint, or painted surfaces such as window sashes that wear down, it is important to know if lead is present in the paint to prevent ingestion and inhalation of lead dust. Please refer to our Education Center section on Lead for more details.

It is recommended that you test for lead paint and contact your local Health Department for a professional evaluation should you have questions or concerns about your test results. This is especially important before undertaking any remodeling project as the demolition and construction process can create airborne lead dust and particles.

Indoor Air Quality Testing Information

We spend 90% of our time indoors and our exposure to air pollution indoors may be greater than outdoors. One report by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Special Legislative Commission on Indoor Air Quality has determined the air quality in our homes can be detrimental to our health and may contain concentrations of toxins 10-100 times greater than what is outdoors.

Most homes contain more than one contributor to poor indoor air quality. Building materials can outgas volatile organic compounds, humidity levels can encourage mold growth and biological contaminants, lack of ventilation can concentrate pollutants and poorly functioning heating systems can produce toxic gasses. Please review health effects in the Indoor Air Quality Education Center.

Radon Testing Information

Radon is a naturally occurring colorless and odorless radioactive gas that comes from uranium and radium in soil or rock. Radon concentrations in the outside air are low but can build up to high concentrations in enclosed spaces such as your home. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) considers radon as the second leading cause of lung cancer (behind smoking). Please refer to our Radon Education Center section for more details.

Radon gas can enter your home through the basement floor and walls and also through the use of your water supply.  Radon in water is released into the home when performing such tasks as showering, doing dishes, washing clothes and watering plants. Once radon gas has entered the home it attaches to dust particles and is then inhaled.  These radioactive dust particles become lodged in the lungs and may increase the incidence of lung cancer. Ingestion of dissolved radon in water can increase the chance of mouth, stomach and intestinal cancer.

The only way to determine if you have excessive radon levels in your home is to perform a radon test.  The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency advises that steps be taken to reduce radon levels in the home if tested air levels exceed 4 picocuries per liter (pCi/l).

There are two types of tests performed for the analysis of Radon in the indoor air of your home:

 

Short Term Testing - This type of test provides the quickest way to check for radon levels in your home. Generally, this test utilizes a charcoal canister that is exposed to the air for a period of 2-4 days. The charcoal granules absorb the radon and a laboratory analysis is performed to determine radon levels. Radon levels vary from day to day and season to season, a short term test only provides a snap shot of your radon level and is less likely to indicate a probable year-round average. Multiple short term tests will provide a better indication of your radon level.

 

Long Term Testing - These test kits remain in your home for a period of 90 days to 1 year. These kits are called "alpha track" because they monitor the alpha particles from decaying radon. This type of test provides a better indication of your home's year-round average radon level.

Allergies are a result of hypersensitivity to substances that normally would be harmless to the majority of people. Substances that produce allergic reactions in humans are called allergens and almost any substance can cause allergic reactions.

The most common household allergens include:

 

Cat Dander - - A combination of minute skin scales and allergens contained in saliva and sebaceous gland secretions. When cats groom themselves by licking, they deposit saliva on their fur that dries and flakes off. The sebaceous glands in the cat's skin also secretes an allergen.

 

House Dust - A mixture of fibers from carpets, furniture and clothing that is combined with grit, sand particles, human skin flakes and food debris and results in the development of various micro- and macroorganisms.

 

Dust Mites and their Excrement - Dust mites are microscopic creatures that are related to the spider. They thrive on moist conditions and eat dead skin cells and find favorable conditions to proliferate in mattresses, pillows, blankets, carpets, upholstered furniture and other fabrics. There can be millions of dust mites in a mattress and pillow and each dust mite produces 20 fecal pellets per day.  The allergen from dead mites and their droppings are the most common cause of allergic reactions.

 

Dog Dander - A combination of minute skin scales and allergens contained in saliva and on the coat. When dogs groom themselves by licking, they deposit saliva on their fur that dries and is attached to dog hair that is shed along with skin flakes.

 

Cockroaches and their Excrement - Various insects can be a source of inhalant allergens. The most common indoor insect allergen that is known is from the cockroach. This allergen is derived from the fecal matter and saliva of the cockroach.

 

Molds and Fungi - Mold and Fungal allergens are found primarily in the spores and excretions of these organisms.

 

Plants - Pollen produced by wind-pollinated plants can enter homes and present problems to sensitive individuals.  Some indoor plant parts are potential allergens.

Asthma can be aggravated from exposure to allergens and may result in the narrowing of your air passages to the lungs causing difficulty in breathing. The U.S. EPA has stated asthma as a serious problem that kills 4,000 people a year and is the leading chronic illness of children in the United States.

Symptoms of allergies and asthma include:

We recommend testing your home to determine if excessive allergens exist.  Although you and your family may not have allergic symptoms at this time, continued exposure to high levels of allergens can contribute to the development of Allergic Disease and the onset of Asthma. Infants, young children, the elderly and those with chronic illnesses are the most susceptible to developing health problems from allergens and biological pollutants. Please refer to our Asthma and Allergies Education Center section for more details. 

Electromagnetic Field Measurement

Electromagnetic fields (EMF's) are all around us.  They exist in the power transmission and distribution lines outside our homes and through the household wiring within the home. Also, the use of electronic devices within the home such as appliances, computers, televisions, electric blankets and clock radios will produce EMF's.

Electrical and magnetic fields are invisible lines of force surrounding any electrical device. They are the result of sending alternating current (AC) through wires and appliances. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reviewed 50 epidemiological studies and hundreds of biological studies and acknowledge that low level electromagnetic fields may increase the risk of cancer. A general recommendation is "prudent avoidance" of exposures above 2-3 milliGauss. An EMF detection meter can help you to determine safe distances form electrical devices and wiring and what "hot spots" around your home should be avoided. Please review the Education Center section on Electromagnetic Fields for a more in depth discussion of this topic.