It's the kind of situation that develops more frequently than lead control professionals would like to see: Possible lead contamination in a building. In this case, it was a private day-care center connected to a private elementary school in the Midwest. The center served 98 students, from infants to pre-kindergarten. The potential lead exposure to the children was the end result of a chain of events similar to many exposure incidents. The day-care center is housed in a former high school. Initially constructed in 1930, its approximate 30,000 square feet is separated into two floors. The second floor gym and six classrooms on the first floor had hardwood floors serviced by a radiator steam heat system. Funds had been raised to renovate the building and an ambitious plan was in place to replace all of the large exterior windows, complete needed repairs on the boiler and piping systems, renovate the bathrooms with new fixtures and tile and repair damaged walls, and repaint the entire interior of the brick structure.
After the initial assessment, the inspector collected a number of wipe samples to confirm his assessment of lead contamination throughout the facility. When the lab reports were received the next day, the County Health Department issued a 'cease and desist' order. At this point, the facility operator contacted Wonder Makers Environmental, a general industrial hygiene consulting firm that specializes in asbestos, lead and indoor air quality to assist them in investigating and developing appropriate remediation efforts.