Long Beach Public Health Laboratory Now Offering Accredited Environmental Lead Testing Services
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Long Beach, CA ~ Long Beach, CA - The Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services has announced that their Public Health Laboratory is now offering accredited environmental lead testing services. This new resource aims to identify lead hazards in the environment for residents, businesses, and organizations. The Long Beach Public Health Laboratory is currently the only local public health laboratory in California providing this service, having received accreditation earlier this year for environmental lead analysis.

Mayor Rex Richardson expressed the importance of this service, stating that "lead is a toxic substance that poses serious risks to families, especially those with young children." He believes that ensuring access to lead testing is crucial in protecting public health in Long Beach. He also emphasized the significance of this service being available in vulnerable communities.

The laboratory is equipped to analyze four types of environmental samples: air filters, dust wipes, paint chips, and soil. These samples can help identify hazards in various settings such as homes, workplaces, schools, childcare facilities, and other community areas. Lead exposure can have severe health effects, particularly for young children and pregnant individuals. Therefore, timely and reliable testing is essential in preventing exposure.

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The Long Beach Public Health Laboratory offers testing services to residents, businesses, contractors, government agencies, property owners, and environmental professionals throughout the region. Interested parties can find information about sample submission requirements, testing fees, collection instructions and turnaround times from the laboratory. The cost of testing is $18 per sample for governmental agencies and $30 per sample for private submitters.

According to Alison King, Director of Health and Human Services,"accurate lead testing is essential to protecting public health." She believes that this accredited service will expand their ability to identify environmental lead hazards and support efforts towards creating safer and healthier environments across Long Beach and its surrounding regions.

This new testing service complements the Health Department's existing lead prevention and response efforts. The Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program (CLPPP) provides services to eligible families with children who have lead poisoning. This includes case management and in-home environmental assessments, which may involve collecting samples for laboratory testing.

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The Bureau of Environmental Health's Lead-Based Paint Program also works towards preventing childhood lead poisoning through education, investigation, and enforcement. Additionally, the City administers a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development-funded Lead Hazard Reduction Program that addresses lead-based paint hazards in qualifying pre-1978 affordable housing in targeted high-risk areas of Long Beach.

Residents and organizations interested in availing Environmental Lead Testing Services can contact the Long Beach Public Health Laboratory at 562.570.4080 or PHL-Inquiries@longbeach.gov. More information is also available on their website at longbeach.gov/labservices.

For information about the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program, individuals can call 562.570.4564 or email HE-CLPPP@longbeach.gov. The Environmental Health Lead Hazard Program can be reached at 562.570.4488 for any inquiries related to their services.

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