As of December 2021, JSE Labs is officially accredited for lead (Pb) paint analysis under AIHA’s Environmental Lead Laboratory Accreditation Program (ELLAP) and is the only lab in the entire state of Oregon to receive this accreditation. Lily Godon, the lab manager, is the main person responsible for this huge accomplishment.
What is AIHA ELLAP?
AIHA’s Environmental Lead Accreditation Program (ELLAP), which is approved by the environmental protection agencies (EPAs) National Lead Laboratory Accreditation Program (NLLAP) is a nationwide program that accredits laboratories for the analysis of lead in various types of environmental substances including paint, soil, air, and much more. The AIHA is a third party, internationally recognized accreditation body that offers a wide collection of programs (including ELLAP) that hold laboratories to a high set of standards to ensure the quality and validity of participating laboratories’ data and results.
What is Lead Chip Analysis?
The presence of lead can pose a serious threat to building inhabitants because exposure can cause long-term health problems. Due to these dangers, it’s a good idea to perform lead paint testing and analysis to minimize lead poisoning to your family or employees. Lead paint can commonly be found in door frames, windowsills, kitchen cabinets, exterior walls, porches, fences, and gutters for residential homes, especially those built before the 1970s. You can choose to have a JSE certified inspector collect the samples for you or perform the sampling yourself, depending upon the situation.
JSE Labs uses a modern and innovative method to test for the presence of lead. This includes collecting a small sample (approximately 2 square inches) from the painted surface and then safely bringing it back to the lab for careful analysis by dissolving paint chips in nitric acid and using a flame atomic absorption spectrophotometer.
The Flame Atomic Absorption method is far superior to over-the-counter test strips because it can test down to very low levels of lead, unlike the test strips, which often miss lead concentrations below 5000 parts per million. Why do low levels of lead matter? Low concentrations can suddenly become a health hazard when the paint is aggressively disturbed, such as from sanding, and the lead dust becomes airborne. By missing low levels of lead in paint, building inhabitants, family, and employees can be inadvertently exposed.
Need Lead (Pb) Paint Analysis? JSE Can Help!
JSE Labs is a trusted provider of environmental consulting, surveys, testing, and analysis for residential buildings, government agencies, commercial buildings, health institutions, schools, and research facilities. Our decades of experience and state-of-the-art laboratory allow us to provide unmatched expertise, accuracy, and guidance to our clients.
If you’re in need of environmental consulting or require a lead paint analysis, don’t hesitate to contact us. We look forward to working with you!
Lisa started in the industrial hygiene and environmental industry in 1992 as an asbestos microscopist and began performing building inspections for asbestos, lead paint, and other hazards in 1994.
“This career has been an amazing experience, traveling for work to perform inspections both locally and abroad to locations such as Hawaii and Germany. My real love however is being in the laboratory and assisting our wonderful clients.”
