Challenges of Importing Residential Lead Paint Inspection and Risk Assessment Reports Into a National Database

Thousands of lead-based paint (LBP) inspections and risk assessments have been completed by professionals in recent years, but they have not yet been assembled into a suitable database to support a housing surveillance system.

This study was completed to determine if a database can be developed by uploading results of lead paint risk assessments; inspections; and evaluations of homes of children with elevated blood lead levels to support the creation of a LBP housing surveillance system.

Working with local private and public lead poisoning prevention professionals and laboratories, data from 2128 pre-1978 dwelling units, comprising 350 104 interior and 45 685 exterior LBP XRF measurements; 12 619 floor dust lead measurements; 8772 windowsill dust lead measurements; and other variables were assembled and analyzed.

Although all reports complied with the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) guidelines, their report formats varied widely. The percentage of homes with any interior LBP was 62% (28%-88%, depending on risk categorization, that is, homes without or with children with elevated blood lead levels; the percentage with exterior LBP was 63% (28%-88%); and the percentage with both interior and exterior LBP was 51% (8%-86%). Room names, number, and building component naming systems were highly variable, making data cleaning needlessly complex.

Increased standardization of LBP report formats, including standardized room, building component, and surface nomenclature, is needed to create a national housing surveillance system. All current commercially available XRF portable LBP analyzers can download data into electronic files, making handwritten data obsolete. Most labs can provide electronic files with dust and soil data. Improved standardization will help optimal targeting of remediation and future research to ensure children are adequately protected. Such standardization could be accomplished by a revised edition of the HUD lead paint guidelines and/or the establishment of a consensus standard-setting organization, such as the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM).