Using Colorimetric Wipes to Characterize Lead Surface Levels in Lead-Exposed Construction Workers' Homes and Vehicles

Details

• Journal Article:
  Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology
• Personal Author:
  Ceballos, Diana M. ; Wu, Yuxin ; Bermudez, Maria ; Levy, Jonathan I. ; Buncher, Noah A. ; Basta, Nicholas T. ; Botana Martinez, M. Pilar ; Peters, Junenette L.
• Description:
  Background: Lead home investigations following the confirmation of a lead-poisoned child in the home require a lead-certified technician using an X-ray-fluorescence (XRF) portable analyzer, but XRFs are not always available. Colorimetric surface wipes that immediately change color on a gradient from yellow-to-red with lead could address this gap, but they have not been tested or utilized extensively in non-occupational settings. Objective: To understand the usability of colorimetric wipes in lead home investigations with different potential sources of lead. Methods: We collected 104 colorimetric wipes to assess lead levels on surfaces from nine homes and seven vehicles from lead-exposed construction workers living with children. Colorimetric wipe results (n = 81) were compared with inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy laboratory analysis. Results: Lead was detected on 46(58%) of home surface wipes, with highest percentage of red wipes from surfaces in kitchen, followed by entrance, living room, bedroom, and laundry room samples. For vehicle surface wipes, 17 (71%) detected lead, with the highest percent of red wipes in the trunk, followed by back and front seat areas. Wipe color readings were significantly and positively correlated with laboratory analysis (Kendall's t = 0.42). At the 18 µg/sample threshold (i.e., level at which the wipe is expected to turn pink/red), the method showed high specificity (87%), moderate accuracy (78%), high negative predictive value (87%), and low false positive rate (13%). Of the wipes above 10 µg/sample public-health lead guideline, 80% changed color, suggesting high sensitivity. Description provided by NIOSH
• Subjects:
  • Construction
  • Hazardous Substances
  • Lead
  • Occupational Health
  • Safety
• Keywords:
  • Lead
  • Lead poisoning
  • Construction workers
  • Motor vehicles
  • Exposure assessment
  • Families
  • Children
  • Take-home toxins
  • Lead-based paint
  • Author Keywords: Surface wipes
  More +
• ISSN:
  1559-0631
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Boston Region OSHA ; Chicago Region OSHA ; Massachusetts ; Ohio ; Pennsylvania ; Philadelphia Region OSHA ; San Francisco Region OSHA ; Washington
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  11 pdf pages
• Volume:
  36
• Issue:
  2
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20071720
• Citation:
  J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol 2026 Mar; 36(2):300-310
• Contact Point Address:
  Diana M. Ceballos, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
• Email:
  dmco25@uw.edu
• CAS Registry Number:
  • Lead (CAS RN 7439-92-1)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2026
• Performing Organization:
  University of Washington
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  2005/07/01
• End Date:
  2026/06/30
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/259946/cdc_259946_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 762.79 KB]
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:2fbed3c31fe1319849fed27bede792a98d3f7c2408690cc0f8e1b1242f6b1b7c2bd5bd620be3cff006fc93b5bfa79a54417584473c09ffad6deba60735e67102