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EPA Lead Supervisor practice questions

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Question 1Health effects and characteristics of lead-based paint hazards

Under the federal definition used in lead-based paint programs, paint or another coating is considered lead-based paint when it contains lead at which level?

  1. 10 mg/cm² or more, or 5% or more by weight
  2. 0.06 mg/cm² or more, or 0.06% or more by weight
  3. 0.5 mg/cm² or more, or 1.0% or more by weight
  4. 1.0 mg/cm² or more, or 0.5% or more by weight Correct answer.

Explanation

Federal lead-based paint programs define lead-based paint as a coating containing 1.0 mg/cm² of lead or more, or 0.5% lead by weight or more. Either criterion is sufficient, so a coating meeting either threshold is treated as lead-based paint.

Question 2Health effects and characteristics of lead-based paint hazards

Residential use of lead-based paint was banned in the United States in which year?

  1. 1965
  2. 1950
  3. 1978 Correct answer.
  4. 1986

Explanation

The federal ban on residential use of lead-based paint took effect in 1978. That date is why disclosure, inspection, and renovation rules focus on housing built before 1978.

Question 3Health effects and characteristics of lead-based paint hazards

For a toddler living in a home with deteriorating lead-based paint, the most common route of exposure is:

  1. Dermal absorption through intact skin
  2. Ingestion of paint chips and lead-contaminated dust Correct answer.
  3. Inhalation of lead fumes released from intact paint
  4. Drinking contaminated groundwater

Explanation

Young children explore through hand-to-mouth activity, so ingested paint chips, settled dust, and soil dominate their exposure. Inhalation matters mainly for fumes and fine airborne dust rather than intact paint.

Question 4Health effects and characteristics of lead-based paint hazards

After absorption, where does the majority of lead in an adult body reside?

  1. In adipose tissue, where it is mobilized during weight loss
  2. In the liver, with a half-life of about one week
  3. In bone and teeth, where it can remain for decades Correct answer.
  4. In blood plasma, where it is cleared within 48 hours

Explanation

Most of the body burden of lead in adults is stored in bone and teeth, where it persists for decades and can be remobilized during pregnancy, lactation, or bone loss. Blood and soft-tissue lead turn over much more quickly.

Question 5Health effects and characteristics of lead-based paint hazards

Lead interferes with heme synthesis most directly by inhibiting which enzyme, causing aminolevulinic acid to accumulate?

  1. Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD)
  2. Delta-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (ALAD) Correct answer.
  3. Carbonic anhydrase in renal tubular cells
  4. Cytochrome c oxidase in the mitochondrial membrane

Explanation

Lead inhibits ALAD, so aminolevulinic acid builds up and is excreted, and it also inhibits ferrochelatase, blocking iron insertion into protoporphyrin. The combined effect is reduced heme production.

Question 6Health effects and characteristics of lead-based paint hazards

Under the HUD/EPA clearance standards, a wipe sample from a floor must be below which lead loading?

  1. 40 µg/ft² Correct answer.
  2. 10 µg/ft²
  3. 250 µg/ft²
  4. 100 µg/ft²

Explanation

The clearance standard for floors is 40 µg/ft² of lead in settled dust, measured by wipe sampling. Floors, sills, and troughs each have a separate clearance value.

Question 7Health effects and characteristics of lead-based paint hazards

Under the HUD/EPA clearance standards, a wipe sample from an interior window sill must be below which lead loading?

  1. 40 µg/ft²
  2. 400 µg/ft²
  3. 250 µg/ft² Correct answer.
  4. 100 µg/ft²

Explanation

Interior window sills must clear at 250 µg/ft² of lead in dust. Sills collect more dust than floors and therefore carry a higher clearance value.

Question 8Health effects and characteristics of lead-based paint hazards

Under the HUD/EPA clearance standards, a wipe sample from a window trough must be below which lead loading?

  1. 800 µg/ft²
  2. 250 µg/ft²
  3. 100 µg/ft²
  4. 400 µg/ft² Correct answer.

Explanation

Window troughs carry the highest clearance value, 400 µg/ft², because dust and paint debris concentrate in the well below the sill. Floors clear at 40 and sills at 250 µg/ft².

Question 9Health effects and characteristics of lead-based paint hazards

EPA's soil-lead hazard standard for a residential play area is:

  1. 100 ppm
  2. 5,000 ppm
  3. 1,200 ppm
  4. 400 ppm Correct answer.

Explanation

EPA sets the soil-lead hazard standard at 400 ppm for play areas and 1,200 ppm for other residential soil. Play areas carry the lower value because children contact that soil directly.

Question 10Health effects and characteristics of lead-based paint hazards

Which situation best illustrates a lead-based paint hazard rather than merely the presence of lead-based paint?

  1. Lead-based paint on exterior trim that was encapsulated and passed clearance
  2. Intact lead-based paint on a hallway wall that children never touch
  3. Lead-based paint sealed under three layers of intact newer latex paint on a ceiling
  4. Lead-based paint on a binding window sash that grinds and makes dust Correct answer.

Explanation

A hazard exists when a lead-painted surface can release lead through deterioration, friction, impact, or chewing, or when dust or soil lead is elevated. Intact paint that is not subject to those forces is a lead-based paint presence, not a hazard.

Question 11Health effects and characteristics of lead-based paint hazards

A painted window sash binds in its track and is forced open and shut daily, wearing the paint along the jamb. This surface is best classified as:

  1. Impact surface
  2. Chewable surface
  3. Accessible surface
  4. Friction surface Correct answer.

Explanation

Friction surfaces are painted surfaces rubbed or abraded by repeated contact, such as window sashes, sliding doors, and hinges. The abrasion itself generates lead dust, so intact paint there can still be a hazard.

Question 12Health effects and characteristics of lead-based paint hazards

Which painted feature is most likely to be classified as a chewable surface?

  1. The top edge of a door frame seven feet above the finished floor
  2. A flat wall panel six feet above the floor
  3. A painted porch floor board that children walk across daily
  4. A protruding window sill lip about three feet above the floor Correct answer.

Explanation

A chewable surface is a protruding edge or projection small enough to mouth, positioned within a child's reach, generally between about one foot and five feet above the floor and near a corner or other support. A sill lip at three feet fits that description.

Question 13Health effects and characteristics of lead-based paint hazards

A door that swings open and strikes the same painted casing each time, chipping the paint, is an example of:

  1. Impact surface Correct answer.
  2. Substrate deterioration
  3. Friction surface
  4. Chewable surface

Explanation

Impact surfaces are struck by other building components, such as a door edge hitting a jamb or casing, which chips paint into dust and chips that then become a hazard.

Question 14Health effects and characteristics of lead-based paint hazards

Which routine activity in an older home is most likely to create a lead dust hazard indoors?

  1. Wiping a kitchen countertop with a damp cloth and detergent
  2. Vacuuming a carpet with a vacuum equipped with a HEPA filter
  3. Running a bathroom exhaust fan during and after a shower
  4. Raising a window whose painted sashes bind in the tracks Correct answer.

Explanation

Painted sashes sliding against the jamb abrade the paint and generate fine lead dust that settles on sills, troughs, and floors within a child's reach. Cleaning tasks with HEPA filtration or damp methods remove dust rather than create it.

Question 15Health effects and characteristics of lead-based paint hazards

The half-life of lead in blood is approximately:

  1. About one year
  2. About one hour
  3. About 30 days Correct answer.
  4. About 20 years

Explanation

Lead in blood has a half-life of roughly 30 days, so a blood lead level reflects recent exposure. Lead deposited in bone persists for decades and can be released later.

Question 16Health effects and characteristics of lead-based paint hazards

Lead exposure during pregnancy is of special concern because:

  1. Lead cannot cross the placenta, so only the mother's blood lead level matters
  2. Fetal red cells do not bind lead, so the fetus is fully protected
  3. Lead reaches the fetus only through breast milk after birth
  4. Lead crosses the placenta and can impair fetal neurological development Correct answer.

Explanation

Lead readily crosses the placenta, and the developing fetal nervous system is highly susceptible. Maternal exposure is associated with preterm birth and later cognitive deficits in the child.

Question 17Health effects and characteristics of lead-based paint hazards

A classic sign of lead neuropathy in an adult is:

  1. Resting tremor of the tongue and hands
  2. Loss of high-frequency hearing in both ears
  3. Wrist drop caused by extensor muscle weakness Correct answer.
  4. Blurred near vision from a lens opacity

Explanation

Lead damages peripheral motor nerves in adults, producing extensor muscle weakness and wrist drop or foot drop. The effect is motor, not primarily sensory or visual.

Question 18Health effects and characteristics of lead-based paint hazards

Chronic occupational lead exposure in adults is associated with which pair of health effects?

  1. Osteoporosis and diabetes insipidus
  2. Hyperthyroidism and cataracts
  3. Asthma and contact eczema
  4. Hypertension and kidney damage Correct answer.

Explanation

Chronic lead exposure raises blood pressure and damages renal tubules, and it is linked to reduced kidney function and gout. These cardiovascular and renal effects are well documented in occupationally exposed adults.

Question 19Health effects and characteristics of lead-based paint hazards

A child with lead poisoning has microcytic anemia with basophilic stippling on the blood smear. Which mechanism best explains this finding?

  1. Lead causes vitamin B12 deficiency by destroying intrinsic factor
  2. Lead blocks heme synthesis and shortens red cell survival Correct answer.
  3. Lead triggers autoimmune hemolysis through antibody production
  4. Lead destroys mature red cells inside the spleen only

Explanation

Lead inhibits heme pathway enzymes such as ALAD and ferrochelatase, so hemoglobin production falls, and it also shortens red cell survival. The result is a microcytic anemia with basophilic stippling.

Question 20Health effects and characteristics of lead-based paint hazards

Which statement best reflects current public health understanding of blood lead levels in children?

  1. A blood lead level of 10 µg/dL is the threshold below which no effects occur
  2. Blood lead levels stop mattering once a child enters school
  3. No safe level has been identified; effects appear below the CDC reference value Correct answer.
  4. Health effects begin only above 45 µg/dL

Explanation

Studies show cognitive and behavioral effects at blood lead levels below the CDC reference value, so public health agencies treat any measurable elevation as a concern. The older idea of a fixed threshold of effect has been abandoned.

Question 21Health effects and characteristics of lead-based paint hazards

The most effective way for a lead worker to prevent take-home lead exposure is to:

  1. Wash hands at the end of each work week
  2. Store work boots in the trunk beside family items
  3. Shower and change before leaving the site Correct answer.
  4. Wear a dust mask during the drive home

Explanation

Lead dust on clothing, shoes, and skin is carried home to children and other household members. Showering and changing before leaving the site, and keeping work clothes out of family laundry, breaks that pathway.

Question 22Health effects and characteristics of lead-based paint hazards

Which statement correctly distinguishes a dust-lead hazard standard from a clearance standard?

  1. A hazard standard names a hazardous dust level; a clearance standard is the post-work pass level Correct answer.
  2. Clearance standards are set by paint manufacturers, while hazard standards are set by contractors
  3. Hazard standards and clearance standards are always the same numeric value
  4. Hazard standards apply only to bare soil, while clearance standards apply only to wipe samples collected from floors and sills

Explanation

A hazard standard identifies a level of dust or soil lead that is considered a hazard in a home where people live. A clearance standard is a pass/fail level that must be met after abatement or renovation before the space is reoccupied.

Question 23Health effects and characteristics of lead-based paint hazards

Pica increases a young child's risk of lead exposure primarily because pica involves:

  1. Eating non-food items such as paint chips and soil Correct answer.
  2. Breathing rapidly during active outdoor play
  3. Chewing on unpainted plastic toys during play
  4. Sleeping with the face pressed against a painted wall

Explanation

Pica is the compulsive eating of non-food items, which for a child can mean paint chips, dust, and soil. Those materials are direct sources of ingested lead.

Question 24Health effects and characteristics of lead-based paint hazards

Severe lead encephalopathy in a child is characterized by which set of signs?

  1. A mild headache that resolves without treatment
  2. Chronic cough and wheezing
  3. Seizures, altered mental status, and coma Correct answer.
  4. Painless swelling of the hands and feet

Explanation

Lead encephalopathy is a medical emergency marked by seizures, altered consciousness, and coma, typically at very high blood lead levels. It requires immediate chelation and supportive care.

Question 25Health effects and characteristics of lead-based paint hazards

Lead-contaminated soil near the foundation of an older home most commonly becomes an interior hazard by:

  1. Seeping through the foundation as a liquid
  2. Tracking indoors on shoes and settling as dust Correct answer.
  3. Being absorbed through the skin of bare feet
  4. Volatilizing into indoor air and being inhaled

Explanation

Soil lead is carried inside on shoes, clothing, and pets and then settles as house dust that children ingest. Interior dust lead is therefore often linked to exterior soil and paint debris.

Question 26Health effects and characteristics of lead-based paint hazards

Under federal standards, paint is classified as lead-based paint when it contains lead at or above which concentration by weight?

  1. 5.0 percent lead by weight
  2. 0.06 percent lead by weight
  3. 2.0 percent lead by weight
  4. 0.5 percent lead by weight Correct answer.

Explanation

Federal definitions treat paint as lead-based paint when it contains 0.5 percent or more lead by weight, or 1.0 milligram of lead per square centimeter of surface. Meeting either criterion is sufficient. Paint test results are compared against these values when a surface is evaluated.

Question 27Health effects and characteristics of lead-based paint hazards

For young children living in older housing, the dominant route of lead exposure is:

  1. Absorbing lead directly through intact skin
  2. Swallowing dust and soil picked up on hands and toys Correct answer.
  3. Inhaling fumes given off by intact painted walls
  4. Inhaling lead vapor from gasoline still in use

Explanation

Ingestion of lead-contaminated house dust and soil, largely through ordinary hand-to-mouth behavior, accounts for most childhood exposure in older homes. Lead in paint does not volatilize into the air at room temperature, and intact skin is an effective barrier to inorganic lead.

Question 28Health effects and characteristics of lead-based paint hazards

CDC's current blood lead reference value for young children is:

  1. 25 micrograms per deciliter
  2. 3.5 micrograms per deciliter Correct answer.
  3. 0.5 micrograms per deciliter
  4. 10 micrograms per deciliter

Explanation

CDC's blood lead reference value, derived from the 97.5th percentile of blood lead in children aged 1 to 5, has been 3.5 micrograms per deciliter since 2021. It is a population-based screening benchmark, not a level below which harm is known to be absent. The older value of 10 micrograms per deciliter is no longer used as the reference value.

Question 29Health effects and characteristics of lead-based paint hazards

In the United States, lead-containing paint was banned from residential use in which year?

  1. 1971
  2. 1978 Correct answer.
  3. 1965
  4. 1950

Explanation

The Consumer Product Safety Commission limited lead in residential paint to trace amounts effective in 1978. Homes built before that date are therefore the housing stock most likely to contain lead-based paint. A pre-1978 construction date is a key screening fact even though paint may have been applied later.

Question 30Health effects and characteristics of lead-based paint hazards

Why does lead-contaminated house dust pose a greater exposure risk to a toddler than the same mass of paint chips?

  1. Dust clings to hands, toys, and food and is swallowed without the child noticing Correct answer.
  2. Dust always has a higher lead concentration than paint chips do
  3. Dust is absorbed directly through the skin of the hands
  4. Paint chips are not bioavailable once swallowed

Explanation

Fine dust adheres to hands, pacifiers, toys, and food and is repeatedly ingested through normal hand-to-mouth activity, so small amounts are consumed many times a day. Dust particles are also finer and more readily dissolved in the stomach. Chips are eaten only occasionally and in larger, less absorbable pieces.

Question 31Health effects and characteristics of lead-based paint hazards

An iron-deficient child absorbs a larger fraction of ingested lead than an iron-replete child. The best explanation is that:

  1. Iron deficiency raises stomach acid, which dissolves more paint
  2. Lead and iron share intestinal transporters that increase with iron deficiency Correct answer.
  3. Iron deficiency slows the kidneys' clearance of lead
  4. Iron deficiency pulls stored lead out of bone into the blood

Explanation

Lead and iron compete for the same intestinal transport proteins, and the body up-regulates those transporters when iron stores are low, which increases lead uptake. Similar competition occurs with calcium and zinc. This is why adequate nutrition is part of a comprehensive approach to reducing a child's lead absorption.

Question 32Health effects and characteristics of lead-based paint hazards

In adults, the great majority of the body's lead burden is stored in which compartment, where the half-life is measured in years to decades?

  1. Brain
  2. Liver
  3. Skeleton Correct answer.
  4. Blood

Explanation

Roughly 90 to 95 percent of the lead body burden in adults resides in bone, where it substitutes for calcium in the mineral matrix. Skeletal lead has a half-life of years to decades and serves as an internal source of exposure long after external exposure ends. Blood lead reflects mainly recent exposure and has a half-life of about a month.

Question 33Health effects and characteristics of lead-based paint hazards

A room can look clean after renovation yet still present a dust-lead hazard. Which statement best explains this?

  1. Cleaning residues always exceed the clearance standard
  2. Settled dust is always the same color as the surface beneath it
  3. The particles are generally too fine to see Correct answer.
  4. Lead dust only forms on surfaces above eye level

Explanation

Lead-bearing dust consists largely of very fine particles that spread thinly across floors, sills, and troughs in amounts far below what the eye can detect. Visual inspection therefore cannot establish that a space is safe. Only dust wipe sampling compared with the applicable standard can confirm that the hazard has been controlled.

Question 34Health effects and characteristics of lead-based paint hazards

Lead gets into drinking water mainly through:

  1. Evaporation of treated wastewater inside the home
  2. Addition of lead coagulants at the treatment plant
  3. Diffusion of lead through the walls of copper pipe
  4. Corrosion of lead service lines, lead solder, and brass fixtures Correct answer.

Explanation

Water leaving a treatment plant is generally lead-free; lead enters as corrosive water contacts lead service lines, lead-based solder, and brass or bronze fixtures and fittings. Corrosion control treatment, such as phosphate addition, is used to reduce this leaching. Flushing taps that have been idle also reduces the concentration.

Question 35Health effects and characteristics of lead-based paint hazards

Why are fetuses and young children more susceptible than adults to lead at the same level of exposure?

  1. Children's kidneys filter lead more slowly than adult kidneys do
  2. Children have more body fat that stores lead long-term
  3. Children excrete lead in urine faster than adults do
  4. The developing nervous system is disrupted by lead at low doses Correct answer.

Explanation

The fetal and early childhood brain is undergoing rapid growth, migration of neurons, and synapse formation, processes that lead disrupts at exposure levels far below those causing overt illness. Children also absorb a higher fraction of ingested lead and have behavioral patterns that increase ingestion. The result is that developmental effects can occur without any obvious clinical signs.

Question 36Health effects and characteristics of lead-based paint hazards

Why are carpets and upholstered furniture a concern when lead dust is present in a home?

  1. Carpet fibers themselves manufacture lead dust as they wear
  2. Lead is added to some carpet backings as a stabilizer
  3. They trap dust that is later stirred up by walking and play Correct answer.
  4. They absorb lead vapor from the indoor air

Explanation

Soft surfaces act as reservoirs that hold fine lead dust and release it again when people walk, sit, or children play on them. This re-suspension keeps dust available for hand contact and inhalation long after the original disturbance. HEPA vacuuming and, where warranted, removal of the material are used to reduce this reservoir.

Question 37Health effects and characteristics of lead-based paint hazards

Lead dust loading on a floor, sill, or window trough is reported in which units?

  1. Parts per million
  2. Micrograms per square foot Correct answer.
  3. Milligrams per kilogram
  4. Micrograms per cubic meter

Explanation

Dust-lead loading is an areal measure of the mass of lead per unit of surface area, usually reported in micrograms per square foot, with the metric equivalent in milligrams per square centimeter. Parts per million and milligrams per kilogram describe concentration in a material such as soil or paint. Micrograms per cubic meter describe lead in air.

Question 38Health effects and characteristics of lead-based paint hazards

An adult with a normal blood lead level and a history of heavy occupational lead exposure may still be at risk because:

  1. Chelation therapy permanently removes all lead from bone
  2. The kidneys convert bone lead into organic lead compounds
  3. Stored bone lead can be mobilized back into blood during bone resorption Correct answer.
  4. Blood lead tests give unreliable results in adults

Explanation

Lead deposited in bone over years can be released back into the circulation when bone turnover increases, as occurs with aging, pregnancy, lactation, immobilization, or osteoporosis. Blood lead therefore reflects recent exposure and can appear reassuring while a large skeletal burden persists. This endogenous exposure can continue long after the job has ended.

Question 39Health effects and characteristics of lead-based paint hazards

Which cluster of findings is most typical of moderate lead poisoning in a young child?

  1. Rash and swelling of the large joints
  2. Bloody diarrhea and high fever
  3. Loss of hearing with blurred vision
  4. Constipation, abdominal pain, irritability, and poor appetite Correct answer.

Explanation

Moderate childhood lead poisoning commonly produces nonspecific gastrointestinal and behavioral signs such as constipation, abdominal pain or colic, irritability, lethargy, and anorexia, sometimes with anemia. Because these findings mimic common childhood illnesses, the exposure history and a blood lead test are needed to identify the cause. Severe poisoning is marked by neurologic signs rather than these milder complaints.

Question 40Health effects and characteristics of lead-based paint hazards

Which exterior paint condition most strongly indicates that the coating is becoming a dust and soil hazard?

  1. Paint that is glossy and firmly adhered
  2. Paint applied over galvanized metal
  3. Paint covered by an intact latex topcoat
  4. Paint that is chalky, flaking, or powdery Correct answer.

Explanation

Weathering breaks the paint film down into chalky residue and flakes that fall to the soil and are tracked or blown indoors as fine dust. Chalking and flaking therefore convert an intact coating into an active hazard. Coatings that are sound and well adhered are not releasing lead-bearing particles.

Question 41Federal, state, and local regulations and standards governing lead abatement

Under the federal lead-based paint activities regulations, paint is classified as lead-based paint when it contains at least:

  1. 2.0 mg/cm² or 2.0% lead by weight
  2. 5.0 mg/cm² or 0.05% lead by weight
  3. 1.0 mg/cm² or 0.5% lead by weight Correct answer.
  4. 0.5 mg/cm² or 1.0% lead by weight

Explanation

TSCA Title IV and 40 CFR 745 define lead-based paint as a coating containing 1.0 mg/cm² or more of lead, or more than 0.5 percent lead by weight. Either threshold is sufficient. This definition drives inspection, abatement, and disclosure requirements.

Question 42Federal, state, and local regulations and standards governing lead abatement

Federal lead-based paint requirements use the term “target housing” to describe housing built before which year?

  1. 1960
  2. 1950
  3. 1978 Correct answer.
  4. 1980

Explanation

Target housing is generally housing constructed before 1978, when residential use of lead-based paint was restricted. The definition excludes zero-bedroom units and certain housing for elderly or disabled persons unless a child under age 6 resides there.

Question 43Federal, state, and local regulations and standards governing lead abatement

The OSHA construction lead standard sets the permissible exposure limit (PEL) for lead over an 8-hour time-weighted average at:

  1. 30 µg/m³
  2. 100 µg/m³
  3. 25 µg/m³
  4. 50 µg/m³ Correct answer.

Explanation

29 CFR 1926.62 sets the construction PEL for lead at 50 µg/m³ as an 8-hour time-weighted average. The action level is 30 µg/m³. The general industry standard has the same PEL.

Question 44Federal, state, and local regulations and standards governing lead abatement

Which federal rule requires providing the EPA pamphlet “Protect Your Family from Lead in Your Home” to occupants before renovating pre-1978 housing?

  1. Pre-Renovation Education Rule Correct answer.
  2. Abatement Rule
  3. Disclosure Rule
  4. Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule

Explanation

The Pre-Renovation Education Rule at 40 CFR 745.80 requires the pamphlet “Protect Your Family from Lead in Your Home” before renovation in pre-1978 housing. The RRP rule imposes separate firm and renovator certification duties. The disclosure rule applies to real estate sales and leases.

Question 45Federal, state, and local regulations and standards governing lead abatement

Under EPA’s Lead-Based Paint Activities Rule, who must be certified to perform abatement for compensation in target housing?

  1. Only the individual workers
  2. Only the certified supervisor
  3. Only the building owner
  4. Both the firm and individual workers Correct answer.

Explanation

Abatement for compensation in target housing or child-occupied facilities requires a certified firm and certified individuals performing the work. Workers and supervisors must hold the appropriate individual certifications. Owner-occupants doing their own work without compensation are treated differently.

Question 46Federal, state, and local regulations and standards governing lead abatement

Post-abatement clearance in target housing requires which combination?

  1. Air sampling only
  2. Dust wipe sampling only
  3. Visual inspection only
  4. Visual check plus dust wipes Correct answer.

Explanation

Clearance combines a visual assessment with dust wipe sampling, and the samples must be below the applicable clearance levels. Air sampling is not the federal clearance method for lead abatement. If clearance fails, cleaning and re-testing are required.

Question 47Federal, state, and local regulations and standards governing lead abatement

Which activity is considered abatement under federal lead-based paint regulations?

  1. Routine repainting of a window sill
  2. Household cleaning of paint chips
  3. Replacing a lead-painted window Correct answer.
  4. Minor repair of a damaged door

Explanation

Abatement means a measure designed to permanently eliminate lead-based paint or lead hazards, such as removing and replacing a painted component. Routine repainting, minor repair, and ordinary household cleaning are not abatement. Certification and work practice requirements attach to abatement.

Question 48Federal, state, and local regulations and standards governing lead abatement

A child-occupied facility is a pre-1978 building visited by the same child under age 6 at least:

  1. Three times per week for 1 hour
  2. Twice per month for 2 hours
  3. Once per week for 1 hour
  4. Twice per week for 3 hours per visit Correct answer.

Explanation

The federal definition requires visits by the same child under age 6 at least twice per week, 3 hours per visit, 6 hours per week, and 60 hours per year. The building must also have been constructed before 1978. These criteria determine whether lead-based paint activities rules apply.

Question 49Federal, state, and local regulations and standards governing lead abatement

An EPA-authorized state lead abatement program must:

  1. Apply only to commercial buildings
  2. Be less stringent than federal rules
  3. Be at least as stringent as federal rules Correct answer.
  4. Exempt owner-occupants from all rules

Explanation

EPA may authorize a state to administer the lead-based paint activities program only if the state’s requirements are at least as stringent as the federal requirements. The state may adopt stricter rules. EPA retains oversight and can withdraw approval.

Question 50Federal, state, and local regulations and standards governing lead abatement

The minimum initial training required for an EPA-certified abatement worker is:

  1. 16 hours Correct answer.
  2. 24 hours
  3. 32 hours
  4. 8 hours

Explanation

EPA’s model curriculum sets the initial abatement worker course at 16 hours. Abatement supervisor training is 24 hours. Refresher courses are shorter than the initial courses.