Lead test kits, review of the most popular kits on the market

With today’s technology, the word home test kit has become a common phrase in our society. From asbestos to radon and then to mold and even home drug dusting kits. Now with the new laws, we now hear the words LEAD TEST KITS. This is not an error or it is not intentional, but it is due to the new laws that went into effect this year and that are all under the RRP (Repair, Renovation and Painting Rule) banner that was created several years ago by the EPA. . Lead can make people of any age sick, but young children are most at risk; Hundreds of thousands of them in the US have elevated blood levels, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. The most common place for children to get lead contamination is when lead dust is ingested into the body through the air or by touching contaminated items.

This article is to update you on a few different types of lead test kits that are available on the market today:

1- ABOTEX LEAD INSPECTOR – One of the common kits that you will see more widely advertised and works as a swab test that is very easy for an owner to use. The test will indicate if there is lead on the surface being tested by turning pink or red depending on the lead concentration. The downside to this unit is that it is not as instantaneous as one would think. It may take up to two hours to detect lead on the swab. A strong odor is also given off when the two chemicals in the swab are mixed to perform the test. We strongly recommend that you have plenty of ventilation and wear protection when using this kit.

2- FIRST ALERT: this kit is very similar to the Abotex Lead Inspector kit insofar as it is a swab-based kit. One of the downsides we noticed was that you had to run more than one test to create a baseline to see if the results are the same. This procedure is an expense that you must use more than one test to get the results on a single surface. The downside is that you still have a bottle of solution that you have to dip the swab in and then rub the surface being tested, this does not allow for a controlled test. Also, the price is on a slightly high scale for just a four swab kit compared to other swab kits.

3- LEADCHECK TEST KIT – The Lead Check Lead Test Kit is probably the easiest to use lead paint detection kit. The swab contains the chemicals within the swab tube used for the process. The chemicals are in two individual glass tubes, much like an ammonia inhalant, once the tubes are broken, quickly shake to mix the chemicals and rub the swab on the area to be tested. There are no chemicals or odors to deal with and test results are visible in about 10-30 seconds. This lead test kit is one of three that are nationally acceptable for use with the new RRP rule for lead paint renovations and lead safe work areas.

4- LEAD TEST KIT – This is the newest lead paint detection kit on the market recognized by the EPA for use with RRP’s new lead safe work practices. The test kit is not even on the market at the time this article is being written, but in reviewing the product, we have noticed that the biggest drawback is that there are various liquid vial components and equipment required to obtain the same results as the Lead Check. Instant lead detection kit. This product will be available in the next few months.

The test kits listed above are the most popular on the market. Of course, you will find other kits available for purchase with other pros and cons than the ones we have listed here. If you are an EPA Certified Renovator, please note that the only lead test kit available on the market today is the LeadCheck lead test kit. This test kit comes with the test kit verification cards to confirm that each test kit works and has acceptable results to maintain a lead safe work area.