The Lead Paint Report: Does Your Dorm Test Positive?
According to Babson College's website, average housing charges (for double occupancy) for the 2007-08 academic year are $7,530. That is a relatively large sum of money, which would lead a student to believe that they will be living in a clean and safe location. However, older dorms have tested positive for lead-based paint, which is neither clean nor safe.
This report will detail the lead paint testing conducted by OCLRuinedMyCampusLife.com staff, from the reasons behind our testing to the end results. There will also be tips for dealing with lead paint safely.
It all started when a Babson alum's parents wrote in to us and tipped us off to the liklihood that some dorms still have lead paint present. They had conducted a test in a Coleman dorm room, and it tested positive for lead. The dangers of lead paint concerned them, so they hoped we could notify other students of these dangers.
What dangers you say? Well, how about reproductive problems in both men and women, high blood pressure, digestive problems, nerve disorders, memory and concentration problems, and muscle and joint pain, just to name a few. (Source: EPA)
Since everyone at OCLRuinedMyCampusLife.com cares about the well-being of students, we decided to conduct our own tests for lead paint. None of us hold any qualifications for this, but we bought testing kits and used them according to the instructions.
We decided to use a room in Coleman as our test site. Lead paint is commonly found on window sills, so that is where we went to work. With the amount of paint flaking off, we figured our work was cut out for us...
And we were right! Numerous spots along the windowsill and frame returned positive test results!
The test was a simple process. You start with special swabs that release a special testing substance, and just rub them over the surface to be tested. If there is lead present, the substance will react and change the surface to a pink color (the darker it becomes, the more lead is present.)
You can see the results in the photos below. Look at how red some areas are!
The pictures are pretty self-explanatory. You can see the window sill obviously contains lead paint, and the paint is flaking off. That means that lead dust could be floating around all through the room!
It reminded me of the paint chips that kept flaking off my window in Park Manor North. There were paint chips and dust everywhere, and the wind always blew it right onto my desk. I'm not exactly thrilled at the prospect of lead poisoning...
However, another Babson student (who wishes to remain anonymous) was not so worried. "It's not like I'm eating the paint," he said.
Either way, if you live in one of Babson's older dorms with paint chipping off your windowsill, I'd be careful.
Here are some tips to stay safe:
- Do not scrape at paint if it is still intact.
- Do not touch paint chips and then touch your face or mouth.
- Wash your hands before eating.
- Keep your room free of paint chips and dust.
- If necessary, clean your windowsills with warm water and dish soap.
Hopefully those tips will keep you safe, and hopefully this report will convince Babson to add "lead paint cleanup" to their budget.
Please email us with any concerns, and feel free to comment on our blog.
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