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Villa Environmental Consultants, Inc., can test your painted surfaces with a non-destructive instrument called an X-Ray Fluorescence Analyzer for immediate results on whether a surface contains lead paint. We implement a thorough testing and site assessment program that includes your water, exterior surfaces and soil (which are all areas of concern to the health and safety of our children). The presence of lead based paint in housing represents the most significant hazard remaining for lead poisoning, particularly for young children. The most common means of exposure to young children is for them to digest lead based paint that has deteriorated. The deteriorated paint is broken into dust particles which is inhaled, ingested off hands or food, thus resulting in brain damage. Schools and daycare centers are discovering lead paint in the following areas:
Lead is a pliable, soft metal that is used in pipes, rods and containers. Prior to 1978, lead was a common ingredient in paint because it added strength, and extended life and shine to the paint. In 1978, the United States banned the use of lead paints on interior and exterior residential surfaces. Our staff is trained in Housing and Urban Development (HUD) standards, which is the accepted method and protocol utilized when dealing with lead based paint inspections. On June 1, 1999, EPA's final rule took effect that provides consumers with information about lead-based paint hazards during renovation or remodeling activities. This rule requires renovators to give homeowners and tenants a pamphlet containing information on how to protect their families from lead hazards before beginning renovation activities which disturb more than two square feet of paint in pre-1978 housing. It is estimated that 80 percent of all residential dwellings built before 1978 contain some lead-based paint. About one million children under the age of six have elevated blood lead levels, making lead poisoning the number one environmental health hazard to children. This rule will help protect the nation's children by providing parents with information about the potential hazards from lead. Copies of the final regulation, interpretive guidance on the regulation, and the required federal pamphlet, entitled "Protect Your Family From Lead in Your Home". In 1996, Michigan adopted a real estate disclosure law that mandates the seller to disclosure of known lead hazards to prospective buyers when real estate is sold.
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