Evaluation of Vacuum Blasting and Heat Guns as Methods for Abating Lead- Based Paint on Buildings

The U.S. Army maintains 270 million sq ft of family housing. Sixty- five percent of these structures are more than 25 years old and are likely to have both interior and exterior surfaces painted with lead-based paint. To minimize potential health problems resulting from exposure to lead-based paint, the Army is investigating new technologies for lead-based paint abatement. This research evaluates the effectiveness, safety, and cost of vacuum abrasive units and heat guns as methods of removing lead-based paint. Three vacuum blasting units, five types of abrasive media, and three heat guns were evaluated. The removal rate for abrasive cleaning ranged from over 3.5 to 0.1 sq ft per hour. Removal rates for heat gun cleaning were higher, at 5.88 to 1.00 sq ft per hour. To minimize the amount of lead-contaminated waste, it is recommended that the heat gun method be used as initial treatment, followed by light vacuum blasting to remove residual paint.