Test your old paint for lead (Pb) with a commercial kit with your child and receive expert confirmation!

The federal government banned lead-based paint throughout the US at last in 1978.  Sadly, many children still continue to be exposed by eating old paint chips. This has been repeatedly shown to impact their intellectual development, behavior in school, and even earnings later in life. This is entirely avoidable!  If you live in an older home and have small children, you should consider testing any peeling paint (from radiators, window sills, etc.) to make sure it is not lead-based. Fortunately, there is an easy way to do this. Just order one of these kits manufactured by 3M from Amazon, depending on how many areas you’d like to test.

3M lead check lead test kit

Kit with 2 swabs for $9.12 ($4.56 ea.)

Kit with 8 swabs for $28.20 ($3.53 ea.)

If you then send tested paint chips in a folded envelope (or several samples in different folded envelopes) within another envelope to Lamont geochemist Lex van Geen by mail, you will receive a laboratory confirmation from X-ray fluorescence analysis within two weeks. You can also send him an email at [email protected] if you have questions (Lex has no financial interest in Amazon or 3M!)

This is the same procedure that was followed to help a team of investigative reporters at Reuters uncover a serious lead-based paint problem in poorly maintained housing on US military bases.    

Lead-based paint doesn’t have to be a hazard for your child.  All it takes is testing!