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Lead Check Swabs Paint Test Kit

Testing Procedure

Each LeadCheck Swab requires that the two glass Ampules (A&B) of non-hazardous chemicals be activated.
	CRUSH - squeeze and crush points marked "A" and "B".
	SHAKE AND SQUEEZE - Shake the Swab twice and squeeze gently until yellow liquid comes to the tip - the swab is now activated and ready for testing.
	RUB - While squeezing gently to keep the yellow liquid at the tip, rub the Swab on the test area for 30 seconds.

To Test for Lead in Paint

Most homes and apartment buildings built before 1978 have some lead paint with buildings built before 1960 having the most lead paint. While lead can be present in paint on any painted surface, lead-based paint is most often found in kitchens and bathrooms, and on windows, doors and railings in the interior. Exterior paint used on clapboards or shingles, window trim, porches, columns and railings of pre-1978 homes usually had high lead content. Surfaces that have been painted several times may have layers of lead paint underneath layers of non-leaded paint.

1. If dirty, clean the surface with a household cleaner, rinse and dry.

2. Cut a small V-shaped notch (about ¼ inch long) to expose all painted layers down to the bare surface.

3. Activate a LeadCheck Swab according to the instructions.

4. Rub the activated Swab into the notch to determine if any of the paint layers contains lead.

5. Examine the Swab tip and/or test surface for a color change to pink or red.

Interpretation:

1. If the Swab and or the test surface turn a pink to red color, the test is positive for lead. Only lead produces a pink to red color with LeadCheck Swabs.

2. If the Swab and or test surface did not turn pink or red no hazardous level of lead was detected. Use the confirmation card to confirm that the LeadCheck reagents were active (the circle on the card should turn bright pink).

3. If the Swab and or test surface turn orange, the result is negative for lead but positive for barium which was sometimes added to paint as an extender. If lead were also present in the paint the Swab tip and or test surface would turn pink before turning orange.

4. If the Swab and or test surface turn purple, the result is negative for lead but positive for tin.

Testing Red Painted Surfaces

LeadCheck Swabs turn pink to red when lead is detected. It is important, when testing surfaces painted with red paint, to make sure that red pigment will not bleed from the paint surface onto the Swab tip. Using a white cloth, clean red surfaces with a few drops of distilled white vinegar. If the cloth turns pink or red use Sodium Sulfide to test the surface for the presence of lead.

 

Testing Paint on Plaster, Cement, or Stucco Surfaces

Plaster has been widely used as the finish surface for interior walls for over 150 years. Composed primarily of calcium sulfate (hemihydrate), plaster may interfere with LeadCheck color development because some of the lead may bind to the sulfate in the plaster instead of the LeadCheck dye. It is possible, however, with a minimum amount of care, to accurately test for lead paint on plaster surfaces using LeadCheck Swabs.

1. Cut a notch into the paint down to the surface (See Instructions). Try not to break or scratch the plaster surface.

2. Clean the notch by brushing or blowing out any surface dust collected in the notched area.

3. Activate a LeadCheck Swab according to the standard instructions.

4. Rub the swab tip into the notched area of the paint for about 30 seconds.

5. Check the swab tip, paint surface and paint edge for a pink to red color development.

Interpretation:

1. If no pink color develops, be sure to confirm the negative result by rubbing the swab tip onto a dot on the Test Confirmation Card supplied with the kit. If the confirmation card dot does not immediately turn pink the test is not valid - surface dust has likely prevented the LeadCheck color development. Repeat the test using a new LeadCheck Swab. Note: If a yellow or orange color persists at the notched area or swab tip, this indicates the presence of barium, which was added to paints as an extender. The yellow/orange result is NOT a positive color change for lead.

Testing Solder

LeadCheck Swabs can be used to screen for lead solders used in household plumbing. In 1986 lead solders were banned from use on plumbing lines that brought incoming water to a tap. While the law bans the use of solder in excess of 0.2% lead, the truth of the matter is that the lowest concentration of lead found in household solder is 37%. Since the detection limit of LeadCheck Swabs for lead in solder is 2%, a LeadCheck Swab quickly turns pink to red when testing commonly used tin/lead solders. LeadCheck Swabs will not turn pink when testing 0.2%, or "lead free" solder.

1. Wipe the surface dirt off the solder joint of your pipe with a paper towel or cloth.

2. Rub the solder joint with an emery board or rough up the surface with a piece of sandpaper.

3. Activate a LeadCheck Swab according to the directions.

4. Squeeze the swab until a drop of the yellow/orange liquid drops onto the prepared solder surface.

5. Touch, DO NOT RUB, the swab tip to the wet solder surface and dab gently for ten seconds or less*.

Interpretation:

1. If the tip of the swab turns pink or red, the solder contains greater than 2% lead. The solder does not pass the Federal Code requirement for lead free solder.

2. If the tip of the swab turns purple high levels of tin have been detected. Repeat the test making sure to just touch the tip to the solder surface - Do Not Rub! Note: *Vigorous rubbing may cause a metallic film to be deposited on the swab. Do not rub the solder joint with the swab too long.

Testing Porcelain Fixtures
Porcelain enameled bathroom fixtures such as bathtubs and sinks have been recently identified as a source of lead exposure to young children. In a study involving over 1400 bathtubs, approximately 62% of the tubs tested positive for leachable lead with LeadCheck Swabs (77% of the cast iron bathtubs and 25% of the steel bath tubs were positive). Simply touching, or wiping the side of these leaded fixtures is enough to transfer a residue of lead from the surface to the hand. This is of particular concern for young children because of their high level of hand to mouth activity. In some cases, this source of lead could represent a significant lead exposure to very young children.

For over 100 years, lead has been added to porcelain enameling material. Both new and old fixtures may leach the lead; however, older bathtubs that have repeatedly been cleaned with abrasive cleansers leach the highest amounts of lead. Refinishing the tub surface encapsulates the lead and should eliminate this source of lead exposure.

1. Activate a LeadCheck® Swab according to the directions in the instruction manual.

2. Rub the LeadCheck® Swab over a small area of the tub surface for 30 seconds, especially on the bottom of the tub where the enameled surface appears worn or "gritty". Also rub over any cracks or chips on the bottom or around the drain as these damaged areas may leach lead.

3. Examine the Swab tip and/or tub surface for the development of a pink to red color.

Interpretation:

Any pink to red color indicates that hazardous levels of lead are leaching from the surface. NOTE: Barium is a constituent in some porcelain enamels and causes the LeadCheck Swab to turn a yellow to orange color. A yellow/orange color is a negative result for lead.

Accuracy

Perfomace curves for LeadCheck prove reliability. LeadCheck Swabs are consistently identified as a top performer in third party evaluation studies. Accuracy and reliability for test kits is best evaluated by establishing performance curves; the plot of the probability of a positive result vs varying lead concentrations. Examples of performance curves for LeadCheck Swabs are discussed below.

The Air Force Institute of Technology, Air University: A performance curve was determined for LeadCheck Swabs on paint containing lead chromate pigment (see Figure 5). This curve clearly demonstrates that LeadCheck Swabs produce a positive result nearly 100% of the time at paint concentrations of 0.5% lead and above. Paints containing very low concentrations of lead (below 0.1%) consistently gave a negative result, demonstrating the LeadCheck Swabs can also be used as a negative screen.

HybriVet Systems, Inc.: A performance curve for LeadCheck Swabs on varying concentrations of white lead in semi-gloss acrylic paint (Prepared by D/L Laboratories, New York). A positive result was obtained 100% of the time at lead concentrations near 0.5% and greater. These results show that LeadCheck Swabs can be used as a positive screen for leaded paint (>0.5%) and as a negative screening tool for non-leaded paint (<0.2%). More importantly, for lead concentrations between 0.2% and 0.5%, the pale pink color obtained indicates a potential health risk should that paint be disturbed. However, if an abatement decision is needed, the pale pink color should be interpreted as an inconclusive result for the amount of lead present and a paint chip sample should be taken for quantitative analysis. Performance curves generated using a variety of paint types and substrates clearly demonstrate that LeadCheck Swabs detect lead in paint at 0.5% within a 95% confidence level, and will detect lead at levels below 0.5% with decreasing probabilities. These results conform to the range of ideal performance curves expected for a spot test kit as defined by the EPA.

Features

• Totally self contained tests. No mixing of solutions.

• Indefinite shelf life if ingredients are not mixed.

• Utilizes the chemical Rhodizonate and proprietary ingredients to detect lead accurately and reliably.

• Works on painted surfaces, steel structures, waste materials, sand blasting media, plumbing, soil and dust.

• Reliably detect to 0.5% lead in paint with virtually 100% accuracy.

• Detects down to 2 micrograms of lead.

• Swab turns pink with the presence of lead within 30 seconds.

• Test chemicals are non-toxic and easily washed off from any surface.

• Odorless, disposable and non-staining.

• Includes test confirmation card to verify results.

• Available in 8 or 16 test kits.

Lead Check Swabs Test Kit - 8 tests

Price: $18.45

Lead Check Swabs Test Kit - 16 tests

Price: $34.95

Lead Check Swab Kit - 8 testsLead Check Swab Kit - 16 tests
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