Frequently Asked Questions
If the swab turns pink what does that mean?
Any pink color indicates the presence of lead. The HUD abatement level for lead in paint is 0.5% lead in paint, or 1 milligram per Centimeter Square. The test is almost 100% accurate at that level. The swab will test below the 0.5% level. In fact, 80% of the time the swab will indicate lead as low as 0.2%.
What if the swab turns dark pink or red?
Dark pink or red indicates a hazardous level of lead is present on the surface. Although the swab is not designed to be a quantitative test the more intense the shades suggest high levels of lead. Any pink to red color change indicates the presents of lead and should be considered hazardous.
Can LeadCheck® Swabs be used to test lead in water?
No. LeadCheck® Swabs are not sensitive enough to test for lead in water standard. Contact 800-262-5323 or LeadCheck®.com for information on LeadCheck® Aqua.
What is inside the swabs? Is it hazardous?
LeadCheck® Swabs contains a non-toxic lead reactive dye that is specific for lead. The dye reacts with lead and turns a distinctive pink or red color. There is nothing hazardous in this material.
It says on the card that it can be used for 1-2 tests, what does that mean?
There is enough chemical in the swab to do two tests. You can do this providing that the first test preformed is negative (There is no color change to indicate lead) and the swab is used with in the 2 minutes of the time that you activated it. If the fist test result is positive and a color change on the swab indicates the presence of lead, than only one test can be performed using that swab.
How long are the swabs good for?
A swab that has not been activated will last forever. Once the swab is activated (glass vials are crushed) and the chemical mixed they remain active for about 2 minutes.
What does the term Leachable Lead mean?
"Leachable Lead" is used to describe the ability of lead to come off of a finished surface such as in ceramic glaze. In the case of ceramics, lead can come off into food that is in contact of the glaze.
Can the LeadCheck® Swabs be used to test for lead in water?
No. They are not meant to detect lead in water. They are not sensitive enough to meet the lead in water standard.
What is the purpose of using lemon juice to test lead in soil?
Lead in soil is bound to minerals in the soil. The lemon juice is used to extract the lead from those minerals. The extract can then be tested using LeadCheck® Swabs. Hybrivet manufacture a Lead In Soil Kit (LeadCheck® Soil) that uses a much stronger acid for the extraction step. Lemon Juice extraction will work fine on soils with high lead content (>1000ppm). LeadCheck® Soil will test down to the residential standard set by the EPA (>400ppm).
What if the swab turns a color other than pink or red?
See below for a better understanding of color change:
Pink / Red
The swab has detected lead on surface. Contact local Health Department for further instructionYellow / Orange
Color of the LeadCheck® reagent. The swab has been activated correctlyDark Orange/ Brown
May be unreacted dye or Barium may have been detected. As long as Pink is not observed on the surface or the swab, it is negative for lead.Purple / Blue
The swab has detected high concentrations of tin. Redo test; do not rub swab on surface, dab or tap only.
My LeadCheck® ampoule appears to be frozen, is it damaged?
No, freezing won’t damage it. If the liquid in the ampoule freezes, it should be thawed(liquid) before use.