Get matched with top lead testing and removal specialists in Big Flats, NY

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), hazardous waste is generally classified into four main categories:

1. Characteristic Wastes: These exhibit at least one of four hazardous traits: ignitability (flammable, like gasoline), corrosivity (can rust or decompose materials, like car batteries), reactivity (unstable and can explode, like aerosol cans), or toxicity (harmful when ingested, like lead-based paint).

2. Listed Wastes: These are specific wastes from manufacturing and industrial processes that the EPA has officially designated as hazardous. They include byproducts from processes that use solvents, pesticides, and other chemicals.

3. Universal Wastes: These are commonly generated hazardous items that are subject to streamlined regulations. Examples include batteries, pesticides, mercury-containing equipment (e.g., bulbs), and some lamps.

4. Mixed Wastes: This category includes waste that contains both hazardous and radioactive components, making it subject to regulation by both the EPA and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Unfortunately, lead dust does not look different from any other type of dust. You cannot detect it with the naked eye. To determine if you have lead dust in your home, you will need to hire a local company to take a sample from the paint and test it for you in a lab.

You can paint over lead paint, or “encapsulate” it with a special paint that includes an ingredient called an encapsulant. The EPA approves encapsulation as a lead paint removal method as long as the paint remains undisturbed. Standard types of paint without an “encapsulant” from the big box stores or hardware stores do not meet EPA standards for remediation of lead-based paint.

No, a standard home inspection includes the basics and does not offer lead paint testing. Professional lead paint inspectors need specific licenses to perform these inspections, which not all home inspectors have. If you suspect lead paint in the home you are about to purchase, you will need to pay separately to have that done. If the findings come back positive, you may be able to negotiate with the buyer to cover the cost of the removal.