"Validation of a low-cost lead hazard screening kit for the home environment" is now published. Congratulations to Alyssa, Ornella, Jocelyn, Angela, Marya, Graham, Matthew, Gabe, and Heidi!
--Marya
Abstract
The main sources of lead exposure for children occur in the home environment, yet no low‐cost analytical methods exist to
screen homes for lead hazards. Previously, an inexpensive (~$20), quantitative lead screening kit was developed in which
residents collect soil, paint, and dust samples that are returned to a laboratory for lead analysis using X‐ray fluorescence
spectroscopy (XRF). This screening kit was initially validated in 2020; it was determined that in situ and ex situ XRF lead
measurements on the same samples exhibited strong sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy. As a follow‐up to the initial
validation, an implementation study and further statistical analyses were conducted. Correlation analysis using the results
from nearly 400 screening kits identified an overall lack of correlation between sample types, reinforcing the utility of all eight
sample locations. Principal component analysis searched for underlying correlations in sample types and provided evidence
that both interior and exterior paint are major sources of lead hazards for Indiana homes. The implementation study
compared the results of the government‐standard lead inspection and risk assessment (LIRA) and the lead screening kit in
107 Indiana homes. In the United States, the LIRA is a thorough inspection of paint, dust, and soil that is usually state
mandated in response to a child's elevated blood level and is used to identify where remediation efforts should be focused.
The lead screening kit and LIRA agreed on the presence of lead in 79 of the 107 homes tested (74%). Discrepancies in
agreement are likely the result of differences in the sample location and number of samples collected by each method.
Overall, these results suggest that the lead screening kit is an acceptable resource that could be used to expand the services
health departments provide for lead prevention. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2024;20:1504–1513. © 2024 The Authors.
Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Society of Environmental
Toxicology & Chemistry (SETAC).