Home Renovations & Remodeling Projects May Expose People to Lead

Jan. 8, 2013 - PRLog -- Back in 1991, the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services called lead the "number one environmental threat to the health of children in the United States." Several decades later, lead continues to be a public health threat.

Lead has long been recognized as a harmful environmental pollutant and there are many ways people can be exposed to the material.  Routes of exposure may occur through contaminated air, drinking water, food, soil, deteriorating lead-based paints, and dusts.  

One of the most significant sources of lead exposure is caused by lead-based paints.  Many older properties, built all the way up to the late 1970s, may contain lead-based paints.  Before its ban, it was commonly found in both interior and exterior paints.

Not only can lead-based paints deteriorate over time leading to possible harmful conditions, but home renovation and remodeling activities in older homes can also create possible exposure to lead.  “Homeowners can reduce the risk of lead exposure by hiring a certified lead inspector,” reported Franco Seif, President of Clark Seif Clark, a leading lead testing and consulting firm.  “Harmful exposure to lead can be created when lead-based paint is improperly removed from surfaces by dry scraping, sanding, or open-flame burning. Clark Seif Clark also helps firms comply with the EPA’s Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) Rule and the Toxic Substances Act.  Fast and accurate testing is available to help keep building occupants and workers safe from lead exposure.”

CSC recently sponsored an educational video about potential lead hazards people may face when tackling home renovation and remodeling activities.  It can be seen at:
http://youtu.be/4KwNujqAL9A



To learn more about testing for lead or about Clark Seif Clark, please visit http://www.csceng.com, email csc@csceng.com or call (800) 807-1118.  

About Clark Seif Clark
CSC was established in 1989 to help clients in both public and private sectors address environmental, IAQ, and health and safety (EH&S) issues.  CSC is a leading provider of these services with multiple offices along the western seaboard and southwest. The company believes in science-based protocols and has a strong background in engineering, making them the preferred environmental consultants to healthcare facilities, architects, schools, builders, contractors, developers and real estate professionals.