Understanding Lead Terminology

Term/Concept	Definition/Descrpition
Abatement	Housing interventions that eliminate the possibility of exposure to lead by ensuring that a given lead-based paint hazard is either removed completely, or otherwise addressed in such a way as to effectively prevent exposure to the hazard over a long-term period of time. Abatement can get expensive, depending on the nature and extent of the lead-based paint hazards being addressed. It is also possible to abate intact lead-based paint that does not constitute a lead-based paint hazard.
Case management	When a child is diagnosed as having an elevated blood-lead level, medical followup should occur and continue as necessary to ensure the blood-lead level decreases over time. This process is called case management.
Chelation therapy	A medical drug treatment for lead poisoning, used when blood-lead levels exceed 45µg/dL.
Dust wipe	The method used to determine whether any lead-contaminated dust exists. Typically, a dust wipe involves the sampling of a 1-square-foot area with an approved towelette that picks up the dust. The used towelette is then carefully stored to avoid contamination, until its lead content is analyzed by an accredited laboratory. Note that lead particles derived from deteriorated lead-based paint can often be of microscopic size, in other words invisible to the naked eye. This means that even surfaces that appear at first glance to be "clean" may contain significant and hazardous amounts of lead-contaminated dust, since lead dust is not only tiny but also clings to surfaces.
Elevated blood-lead level	In children, an elevated blood-lead level (commonly abbreviated as "EBL") consists of a level of lead in blood that is high enough to cause adverse health effects. This measurement is made in units of micrograms of lead per deciliter of blood (abbreviated as µg/dL). While an elevated blood-lead level is generally considered to start at 10µg/dL, there is a growing body of research arguing that exposure to lead can produce adverse health effects in young children at levels as low as 2µg/dL. Most observers would agree that at the very least there is no known "safe" level of lead in blood for children under the age of six or for pregnant women.
HEPA	Stands for "High-Efficiency Particulate Air." HEPA vacuums and HEPA masks are, respectively, vacuum cleaners specially equipped with a HEPA filter, and face masks equipped with a HEPA filter. The vacuums are used to help clean up lead-contaminated dust. The masks are used to prevent inhalation of lead dust.
Interim controls	Relatively inexpensive housing interventions that reduce the risk of exposure to lead-based paint hazards over a short-term period of time (typically from 6 months to a year or so). To ensure their optimal effectiveness, interim controls require close cooperation by the dwelling occupants. They also require ongoing maintenance over time. The advantage of interim controls is that these measures tend to be inexpensive ways to reduce the likelihood of exposure to lead, and they can be relatively quickly implemented. However, interim controls are only temporary solutions to a long-term lead exposure problem, and they require ongoing care and vigilance, which becomes more challenging as time passes.
Lead-based paint	Paint, varnish, or any other coating that contains more than 0.5% lead by weight or more than 1.0 milligram of lead per square centimeter is called lead-based paint.
Lead-based paint hazard	When lead-based paint is in a condition that makes it an imminent health threat, it is a lead-based paint hazard. Federal law defines a lead-based hazard as any of the following: lead-contaminated household dust; lead-contaminated bare soil; deteriorating lead-based paint; lead-based paint on friction surfaces (such as windows); lead-based paint on impact surfaces (such as doors); and lead-based paint on chewable surfaces (such as the interior edge of a window sill).
Lead inspection	A surface-by-surface examination of all painted surfaces in a dwelling to determine the presence of lead-based paint. Only a certified lead inspector or a certified risk assessor may conduct a lead inspection, which involves the use of a portable (and expensive) machine called an XRF (x-ray fluorescence analyzer). The report issued after an inspection has been concluded provides a room-by-room breakdown of all painted surfaces, characterizing each surface according to whether or not it contains lead-based paint, and if so, how much lead is in the paint.
Lead poisoning	The level of lead in an individual's blood at which the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that adverse health effects are bound to occur.
Lead-Safe Work Practices	A set of rules that enable workers to undertake interim control measures in safety, while reducing or controlling lead-based paint hazards, or otherwise working on or around surfaces that contain lead-based paint. Many individuals nationwide have been trained how to teach lead-safe work practices to interested persons. This is a one-day course that usually takes fewer than 8 hours to complete.
Real estate disclosure requirements	One of Title X's most important contributions, effective as of 1996, these require disclosure of any known lead-based paint or lead-based paint hazards prior to the completion of a sale, transfer, or lease of a pre-1978 residential dwelling, anywhere in the US.
Risk assessment	A comprehensive evaluation of a dwelling's lead safety by a combination of visual examination and sampling of paint, dust, and bare soil. Only a certified risk assessor may conduct a risk assessment. The report issued by a risk assessor provides the results of all sampling conducted at the dwelling, as well as the risk assessor's detailed observations and conclusions regarding the dwelling's lead safety status. If lead-based paint hazards are detected, the risk assessor's report will specify where they are located as well as their relative significance, and will also provide specific recommendations for remedial action.
Screening	The process of testing children to determine whether there is any lead in their blood. There are two methods of screening children: the venous method is the most accurate way of measuring lead in blood; the fingerstick method is the easiest way to screen young children, but it is potentially less accurate and because it is prone to sample contamination problems. Any fingerstick that reveals a blood lead level above 10µg/dL must be confirmed by a venous test.
Specialized cleaning	The process of removing lead-contaminated dust, involving use of a HEPA vacuum along with a lead-specific cleaning agent.
Title X (pronounced "ten")	The Federal law, also called the Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act of 1992, is actually Title 10 of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1992—known for short as "Title X."