Testing Your Home for Lead
Are you concerned about the potentially harmful effects of lead exposure? Would you like to safeguard the health of yourself and your loved ones by having your home tested for the presence of lead? EMSL's lead testing lab offers lead testing kits available to order.
Please choose from one of the two forms below based on your geographic location:
Download U.S. Sample Submission Form
Download Canada Sample Submission Form
Areas to Test
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Paint
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Soil and dust
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Drinking water
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Waste water
May I collect paint, dust and soil samples myself?
You may do this, although your samples may not be of the same quality as those collected by a certified lead-based paint professional. If you want to collect samples yourself, it is recommended that you send paint, dust or soil samples to EMSL, a laboratory recognized by the EPA's NLLAP.
How are dust samples collected and analyzed?
The most common method for dust collection is a surface wipe sample. Contact EMSL at 1-800-220-3675 to receive a free lead wipe. if dust is collected from a floor, an area of one square foot is usually sampled. The area is wiped several times in different directions to pick up all the dust. After sampling, the wipe is placed in a container and sent to a lab for analysis. You should also collect wipe samples from windows and measure the surface area wiped.
How are soil samples collected and analyzed?
Soil samples are collected from bare soil areas (soil with no grass or other covering) near your home where children play and from bare soil areas near the house foundation or drip line. Optional sampling areas are gardens, pathways and pet sleeping areas. Samples are collected by coring or scooping methods that take the top half-inch of soil. Samples of non-bare soil may sometimes be collected. Soil samples can be sent to EMSL.
How are paint chips collected and analyzed?
Paint chip samples are collected for lab analysis by removing one to four square inches of paint from the surface. All layers of paint in the sampled area are included in the sample. Usually samples will contain some of the material beneath the paint, such as wood, plaster or concrete particles. The amount of this material will be kept to a minimum. Tools such as chisels and scrapers are used to remove the paint. Sometimes a heat gun is used to soften the paint and make the removal easier. If so, a respirator should be worn by the person operating the heat gun for protection from lead and other fumes. In addition, the room or area should be well-ventilated to protect occupants.
After collecting the paint chip sample, the certified lead-based paint professional will repair the scraped area so that adjacent paint will not peel or flake off. Any paint chips or dust from the sampling should be cleaned up by the certified lead-based paint pro to ensure that no lead dust is left behind. Paint chip samples can be analyzed for lead by EMSL.
What about testing for lead in furniture, dishware and mini-blinds?
Lead may be present in the paint on furniture and consumer products. If the furniture is old or the paint is damaged, you may want to have it tested. EMSL provides a wide range of lead testing for consumer products.
What about testing for lead in water?
Lead pipes and lead solder were once used in plumbing, which resulted in lead being leaked into drinking water. To test your water, contact EMSL for a sampling bottle at 1-800-220-3675.
Send your samples to any of our three area laboratories in Greater Los Angeles:
Orange County Laboratories
11652 Knott Avenue, Unit F5, Garden Grove, CA, 92841
Phone: (714) 828-4999, Fax: (714) 828-4944
Los Angeles County Laboratories
520 Mission Street, South Pasadena, CA, 91030
Phone: 1-800-303-0047, Fax: 323-254-9982