Hire an inspector to evaluate your building and perform lead testing

The EPA recommends hiring a professional Certified Inspector or a Certified Risk Inspector when testing for lead content in paint and dust. A Certified Inspector will sample your home or office and forward your sample to a lead test lab for analysis.

I recommend: Search for a Certified Inspector through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. FindAnInspector and the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors also maintain directories of housing inspectors, some of which are Certified Lead Inspectors.

Find lead testing labs that test soil, water and waste

Nearly every state has its own list of preferred lead testing laboratories. If you don't want to look through your state's environmental division, try using a national directory.

I recommend: ASTM organizes laboratories that test for lead by state. The American Industrial Hygiene Association also maintains a directory of lead testing laboratories, but unlike ASTM's list, each lead testing lab has accreditation for handling and testing lead in environmental samples.

Locate lead test labs that focus on clinical samples

When you look for a lead testing laboratory to monitor human health, look for a laboratory that handles blood or hair samples. Researchers and governmental agencies consider hair and blood as the most routine of all human health monitoring samples.

I recommend: LabSafe offers blood testing throughout the United States. For an at-home lead and other trace metals hair test, try Genova Diagnostics.