Bulk Sampling Instructions

Lead Sampling Instructions by Material type

Paint

Using a ruler, draw an outline, roughly 5”x5” on the painted surface with a marking pen.
Score the area with a razor.
For vertical surfaces, tape a piece of paper below the scored, outlined area to be scraped, and use this as a funnel to direct the paint scrapings into a container.
Using a scraping or cutting tool, scrape or peel paint chips from the substrate material using the score marks to get beneath the paint.
- Please try and separate the paint from the underlying material as much as possible. Presence of other materials (such as wood fibers or plaster) may affect your analytical results.
Seal the sample in an airtight container, such as a zip top bag. If collecting more than one type of paint for sampling, be sure to seal these in separate containers to avoid cross contamination.
Label the sealed sample bags with a number and/or location. This information should match the chain of custody documentation you provide to the lab staff.

Dust

Using tape, mark off the area to be wiped for surface dust. This should be a roughly a 12"x12" area.
The EPA recommends using specific, individually wrapped “Ghost Wipes” for sample collection. LabCor Portland will provide these wipes individually or in limited bulk.
Unfold the disposable wipe to begin collecting the surface dust. Wipe the area once in the horizontal direction, then fold the wipe in half. Wipe again vertically, and fold the wipe in half again. Wipe a final and third time around the perimeter of the marked off area before folding the wipe and placing it into a sealed, airtight container, such as a zip top bag. Each wipe should be placed in its own airtight container. Label all containers in a way that matches your chain of custody documentation.

Water

Collect cold water from a faucet that has not been used for a minimum of six (6) hours. The best time to collect the sample is early in the morning.
Do not collect a sample from a faucet that is attached to any water treatment device.
Sampling should be done using an indoor kitchen or bathroom sink that is used frequently.
- We recommend submitting two samples for analysis: one taken after the minimum six hours of non-use (aka 0 minute sample), and a second taken (after a few minutes of running the tap after the 0 minute sample)
- This gives you more information on whether the presence of lead in water samples is attributed to lead fixtures or the water source itself. Please consult the links below or lab staff for clarification.
Place an open, clean, plastic sample bottle beneath the faucet and turn on the cold water as you would to fill a glass of water. Fill the sample bottle so that it contains at least ½ cup of water, and then turn off the faucet. Tightly cap the bottle, sealing the cap with electricians tape (or other waterproof tapes) and place inside a plastic, airtight container, like a zip top bag.
Label the sealed sample bags with the location, number, or elapsed time (only if taking multiple samples for comparison). This information should match the chain of custody documentation you provide the lab staff.
Return the sample to LabCor Portland. The sample must be received at the laboratory within 10 days for proper analytical conditions. FedEx/UPS tend to be faster and more reliable than the USPS.

Soil

Using a plastic or stainless steel spoon, or a coring probe/plunger, scoop or core roughly 10 grams of soil from the top 0.5 inches of the soil surface. 10 grams is approximately 2 to 3 tablespoons of soil.
Place the sample into a sealed, airtight container, such as a zip top bag.
If collecting soil samples from more than one area, be sure to use separate sampling spoons and seal the samples in separate containers to avoid cross contamination.
Label the sealed sample bags with a number and/or location. This information should match the chain of custody documentation you provide the lab staff.

Lead Sampling Instructions by Material type

Paint

Dust

Water

Soil

Other Links / useful information / advisories