A Suggested Lead Surface Concentration Standard for Final Clearance of Floors in Commercial and Industrial Buildings

Abstract

Standards for final clearance after lead abatement have been established for child-related facilities and public housing in the United States. For these existing stan dards final clearance for lead is based on surface load ing. However, no standards have been suggested for buildings that are identified as not child-related or public housing (e.g. commercial buildings). Calculations have now been made to determine a proposed final clearance loading value for buildings or structures that are not child-related or public housing and for the two situations: lead-free and non-lead-free. The values proposed for floors are 1,100 μg Pb.ft-2 for lead-free buildings and 1,000 μg Pb.ft-2 for non-lead-free buildings. Blood lead levels in adults should not increase after exposure at or below these suggested lead-loading values.