For Columbus Public Health

You got a FluoroSpec kit. Here's how to use it, and what to do if you find lead.

Columbus Public Health hands out FluoroSpec kits so families can check their own homes for lead-based paint dust. This page walks you through how to use the kit, what a positive looks like, and how to get help from CPH if you find something.

[ 01 ]How to use the kit

Inside the kit: a small spray bottle of FluoroSpec liquid, a UV flashlight, a non-toxic fluorescent reference card, and these instructions. Takes about 5 minutes.

1
Activate the UV light.Unscrew the front of the flashlight and remove the small tab on the battery, then screw it back on. Press the button to test it. The light is 365 nm UV. Don't shine it in anyone's eyes.
2
Check the reference card first.Shine the UV light onto the non-toxic fluorescent card in the kit. That's the exact green you're looking for. Real lead will only glow that same green AFTER you spray it.
3
Pick a place to test.Window tracks, sills, door frames, baseboards, floors near walls, stairs. Anywhere paint rubs against itself or where dust settles. The dust is what gets into kids, so the goal is finding it on flat surfaces, not just the paint itself.
4
Spray and shine.Spray a small area, then shine the UV light on it while it's wet. A bright green glow that matches the reference card = lead. Plain white surface staying dim = no lead detected.
5
Take a picture if it glows.If you find lead, photograph what you sprayed and where. You'll want to show Columbus Public Health what you found.

If you find lead dust

Don't panic, and don't start scrubbing or vacuuming. Lead dust gets worse when you stir it up.

Two things in order:

1. Get your kids' blood lead tested. CPH offers free blood lead testing for children under 6. Schedule by calling Columbus Public Health at 614-645-7417.

2. Tell CPH what you found. Contact Phillip Bouton, the program lead for the kit distribution: PBouton@columbus.gov or 614-645-6226. Send him your photo + the address. CPH can help connect you to lead inspection, contractor follow-up, and cleanup support.

[ 02 ]Test your stuff too

Lead-based paint dust is the biggest risk in older homes, but it's not the only place lead shows up. The same kit works on objects. Try the same spray-and-shine on:

Painted ceramicsOld plates, mugs, teacups, serving bowls, especially imported or vintage. Spray the painted decoration, not the white ceramic.
Painted toysPainted wood toys, vintage metal toys, painted figurines. Anything a kid might mouth.
Metal & jewelryOld painted jewelry, costume jewelry, antique tins, painted metal cookware.
Faucet aeratorsUnscrew the aerator at the end of your kitchen faucet, spray inside. Lead in plumbing solder can land here.

If anything glows the same green as the reference card, take a photo and send it to Phillip with the kit photo above.

[ 03 ]If nothing glows

Good. That doesn't mean your home is lead-free forever, but it does mean the surfaces you tested today don't have detectable lead-based paint dust. Worth re-testing once a year, or after any renovation or repainting.

The kit still has plenty of liquid left for retests and for checking other items. The bottle holds enough for about 150 sprayed tests. If you ever need more liquid, contact CPH.

[ 04 ]Columbus Public Health resources

If you want help reading your result, want a professional inspection, want your kids tested, or just want to talk to a real person:

Phillip BoutonProgram Manager, Lead Education and Poisoning Prevention
Columbus Public Health, Healthy Children and Safe Homes by 2040
PBouton@columbus.gov · 614-645-6226

Free childhood blood lead testingChildren under 6 in Franklin County are eligible for free blood lead testing through Columbus Public Health. Schedule by calling 614-645-7417 or your child's pediatrician.

Find a Lead-Safe Certified Contractor (RRP)If your home needs renovation or repair and you found lead paint or dust, EPA requires the contractor to be RRP-certified. Find one at epa.gov/lead/find-lead-safe-firm-or-renovator.

About the kit. FluoroSpec is a methylammonium bromide perovskite fluorescence test. The reagent is alcohol-based and reacts with lead in surface dust and paint to form bright green quantum dots visible under 365 nm UV light. Detection limit is approximately 500 ppm. The kit cannot test food, water, or skin. Made by Fluoro-Spec Inc, East Setauket NY, under EPA Low Volume Exemption L-25-0206.

Privacy. Columbus Public Health does not see who you are or what you tested unless you contact them. Your kit is anonymous.