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EPA LEAD INSPECTOR EXAM 2025
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS.
What are the major industrial uses of lead? - Correct answer -Present - Electrical
batteries - Chemical additives Past - Paint additive - Gasoline additive (now in soil
... doesn't permeate quickly, so sample TOP portions (12 in)) - Solder/pipes
What are the common pathways of contamination? - Correct answer -- For children
under 6, hand-to-mouth contact from DUST ... lead tastes sweet (pica is the term
for consumption of non-food items) - For adults, occupational exposure (take-
home lead ... pets can contribute too)
Chronic vs. acute exposure - Correct answer -- Chronic: low dose, long period -
Acute: high dose, short period
How do you treat lead poisoning? - Correct answer -- Chelation therapy - Binding
agents attach to lead in the blood, allowing it to be excreted - Chelating agents
cannot distinguish lead from minerals, so the therapy causes demineralization -
Done at a blood lead of 45 μg/dL
Where does lead contamination in water come from? - Correct answer -Solder,
brass fittings and fixtures, and service lines
How much lead is present in homes? - Correct answer -- 87% of homes pre-1940 -
69% of homes pre-1960 - 24% of homes pre-1978
Who is responsible for investigating lead poisoning? - Correct answer --
Departments of Health (DOH) - They can mandate abatement
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Lead-based paint (LBP) - Correct answer -Any varnish, shallac, or coating that
contains either- 1.0 mg/cm2 - 0.5 % by weight - 5000 ppm - Older instruments
could not read accurately at 0.7, so the lead standard was updated to 1.0
Dust sample clearance values - Correct answer -- Floors: 40 μg/ft2 > 10 μg/ft2 (10
μg/ft2 in NY) - Windows: 250 μg/ft2 > 100 μg/ft2 (50 μg/ft2 in NY) - Window
wells (troughs): 400 μg/ft2 (100 μg/ft2 in NY) - Samples must be at 1 sq ft > 2 sq
ft (can be reduced to 1 sq ft if within 10 μg)
EPA Soil Regulations - Correct answer -- 400 ppm for playgrounds/children's areas
- 1200 ppm for rest of yard - There must be 9 sq ft of soil to classify with soil
testing - At 5000 ppm, MUST remediate/abate (remove & replace, paving, or
bioremediation)
Lab sampling technique - Correct answer -- AAS (Atomic Absorption
Spectrometry) - Sample is placed into a furnace and vaporized ... light is shone
through to give a quantitative result
XRF - Correct answer -- X-ray fluorescence - Utilizes radioactive isotopes
(unstable material trying to reach stability) - Cobalt-57 (half-life of 9 months) and
cadmium-109 (half-life of 15 months) are the two sources (where radiation
originates) - Emits gamma rays but will read X-rays (backscatters) - Ionizing
radiation from the removal of electrons due to interactions with radiation
LBP Hazard - Correct answer -ANY condition that causes exposure to lead
LBP inspection - Correct answer -a surface-by-surface investigation to determine
the presence of lead
EPA LEAD INSPECTOR EXAM 2025
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS.
What are the major industrial uses of lead? - Correct answer -Present - Electrical
batteries - Chemical additives Past - Paint additive - Gasoline additive (now in soil
... doesn't permeate quickly, so sample TOP portions (12 in)) - Solder/pipes
What are the common pathways of contamination? - Correct answer -- For children
under 6, hand-to-mouth contact from DUST ... lead tastes sweet (pica is the term
for consumption of non-food items) - For adults, occupational exposure (take-
home lead ... pets can contribute too)
Chronic vs. acute exposure - Correct answer -- Chronic: low dose, long period -
Acute: high dose, short period
How do you treat lead poisoning? - Correct answer -- Chelation therapy - Binding
agents attach to lead in the blood, allowing it to be excreted - Chelating agents
cannot distinguish lead from minerals, so the therapy causes demineralization -
Done at a blood lead of 45 μg/dL
Where does lead contamination in water come from? - Correct answer -Solder,
brass fittings and fixtures, and service lines
How much lead is present in homes? - Correct answer -- 87% of homes pre-1940 -
69% of homes pre-1960 - 24% of homes pre-1978
Who is responsible for investigating lead poisoning? - Correct answer --
Departments of Health (DOH) - They can mandate abatement
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Lead-based paint (LBP) - Correct answer -Any varnish, shallac, or coating that
contains either- 1.0 mg/cm2 - 0.5 % by weight - 5000 ppm - Older instruments
could not read accurately at 0.7, so the lead standard was updated to 1.0
Dust sample clearance values - Correct answer -- Floors: 40 μg/ft2 > 10 μg/ft2 (10
μg/ft2 in NY) - Windows: 250 μg/ft2 > 100 μg/ft2 (50 μg/ft2 in NY) - Window
wells (troughs): 400 μg/ft2 (100 μg/ft2 in NY) - Samples must be at 1 sq ft > 2 sq
ft (can be reduced to 1 sq ft if within 10 μg)
EPA Soil Regulations - Correct answer -- 400 ppm for playgrounds/children's areas
- 1200 ppm for rest of yard - There must be 9 sq ft of soil to classify with soil
testing - At 5000 ppm, MUST remediate/abate (remove & replace, paving, or
bioremediation)
Lab sampling technique - Correct answer -- AAS (Atomic Absorption
Spectrometry) - Sample is placed into a furnace and vaporized ... light is shone
through to give a quantitative result
XRF - Correct answer -- X-ray fluorescence - Utilizes radioactive isotopes
(unstable material trying to reach stability) - Cobalt-57 (half-life of 9 months) and
cadmium-109 (half-life of 15 months) are the two sources (where radiation
originates) - Emits gamma rays but will read X-rays (backscatters) - Ionizing
radiation from the removal of electrons due to interactions with radiation
LBP Hazard - Correct answer -ANY condition that causes exposure to lead
LBP inspection - Correct answer -a surface-by-surface investigation to determine
the presence of lead
