Task-specific lead exposure during residential lead hazard reduction projects

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health and Safety
• Environmental Science
• Industrial Hygiene

Background:

• Residential lead hazard reduction projects pose risks of worker airborne lead exposure.
• Accurate exposure assessment is crucial for selecting appropriate engineering controls and personal protective equipment (PPE).

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize short-term, task-specific airborne lead exposures in residential lead abatement.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of an airborne lead exposure prediction equation for abatement contractors.

Main Methods:

• Collected 224 personal air samples from 16 workers across 11 residential sites.
• Focused on task-specific exposure assessment, including activities like paint scraping, demolition, and wet sanding.
• Analyzed correlations between exposure levels and variables such as paint lead content, task area, water usage, contractor type, and proportion of paint removed.

Main Results:

• Overall geometric mean exposure was 4.2 microg/m3, with significant variability (geometric standard deviation = 4.3 microg/m3).
• Highest exposures occurred during paint scraping, demolition, and chemical stripping; lowest during wet sanding and clean-up.
• The prediction equation was ineffective as initially formulated; water usage, contractor type, and proportion of paint removed significantly influenced exposures.

Conclusions:

• Task-specific sampling effectively identified high-exposure tasks missed by full-shift sampling.
• Contractor-specific exposure assessments are vital due to significant inter-contractor variability.
• Water usage and the proportion of paint removed are key factors influencing airborne lead exposure during abatement.