Residents, businesses and organizations can now receive environmental lead testing from the Long Beach Health and Human Services (Health) Department.
The department’s Public Health Laboratory received accreditation earlier this year and is now the only local public health lab in California to offer environmental lead testing.
Environmental lead testing can help identify hazards in homes, workplaces, schools, childcare facilities and other community settings. Lead exposure can have serious health effects, particularly for young children and pregnant people, making timely and reliable testing an important tool for preventing exposure.
“Lead is a toxic substance that poses serious risks to families, especially those with young children,” said Mayor Rex Richardson in a public statement. “Ensuring access to lead testing is essential to protecting public health in Long Beach. I’m proud to see this important service available so residents can identify hidden hazards and access the resources they need, particularly in vulnerable communities.”
The laboratory can analyze four types of environmental samples:
- Air filters: Evaluate airborne lead generated during renovation, demolition, lead abatement or industrial activities.
- Dust wipes: Identify lead-containing dust on floors, windowsills, window troughs and countertops.
- Paint chips: Determine whether painted surfaces contain lead during hazard assessments, renovations and inspections.
- Soil: Identify lead contamination in residential, commercial and public areas, including playgrounds and gardens.
Testing services are available to residents, businesses, contractors, government agencies, property owners and environmental professionals throughout the region. The cost of testing is $18 per sample for governmental agencies and $30 per sample for private submitters.
“Accurate lead testing is essential to protecting public health, especially for children and families who may be exposed to hidden environmental hazards,” said Alison King, Director of Health and Human Services, in a public statement. “This accredited service expands our ability to identify environmental lead hazards and support efforts to create safer, healthier environments across Long Beach and the surrounding region.”
The new testing service complements the Health Department’s broader lead prevention and response efforts. The Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program (CLPPP) provides services to eligible families of children with lead poisoning, including case management and in-home environmental assessments that may include collecting samples for laboratory testing.
The Bureau of Environmental Health’s Lead-Based Paint Program works to prevent childhood lead poisoning through education, investigation and enforcement. The City also administers the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development-funded Lead Hazard Reduction Program. This initiative addresses lead-based paint hazards in qualifying pre-1978 affordable housing in targeted high-risk areas of Long Beach.
Residents and organizations interested in Environmental Lead Testing Services, including information about sample submission requirements, testing fees, collection instructions and turnaround times, may contact the Long Beach Public Health Laboratory at 562-570-4080 or PHL-Inquiries@longbeach.gov.
Additional information is available at longbeach.gov/labservices.
Information about the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program is available by calling 562-570-4564 or emailing HE-CLPPP@longbeach.gov. For information about the Environmental Health Lead Hazard Program, call 562-570-4488.
