What is the difference between a wipe sample and an air sample in clearance testing?

What is the difference between a wipe sample and an air sample in clearance testing?

• A. Wipe samples measure airborne lead concentration.
• B. Air samples measure surface lead contamination.
• C. Wipe samples measure soil lead contamination.
• D. Wipe samples measure surface lead; air samples measure airborne lead concentration.

Answer: (D)

In clearance testing, you’re checking two exposure pathways: what’s left on surfaces and what’s in the air. Wipe sampling targets surfaces, using a wipe to collect any lead residues from a defined area to quantify surface contamination. This shows whether cleanup reduced residue to acceptable levels and helps prevent recontamination when people touch those surfaces. Air sampling, in contrast, pulls in ambient air to measure how much lead is present as aerosols or dust that could be inhaled, indicating inhalation exposure risk for workers and occupants. So the best statement is that wipe samples measure surface lead; air samples measure airborne lead concentration. The other ideas mix up the targets (air versus surface) or extend to soil, which isn’t the purpose of wipe or air sampling in this context.

In clearance testing, you’re checking two exposure pathways: what’s left on surfaces and what’s in the air. Wipe sampling targets surfaces, using a wipe to collect any lead residues from a defined area to quantify surface contamination. This shows whether cleanup reduced residue to acceptable levels and helps prevent recontamination when people touch those surfaces. Air sampling, in contrast, pulls in ambient air to measure how much lead is present as aerosols or dust that could be inhaled, indicating inhalation exposure risk for workers and occupants.

So the best statement is that wipe samples measure surface lead; air samples measure airborne lead concentration. The other ideas mix up the targets (air versus surface) or extend to soil, which isn’t the purpose of wipe or air sampling in this context.