NEHA Housing and Built Environment 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Under the HUD Lead Safe Housing Rule, at what age is a dwelling considered 'target housing' requiring lead hazard evaluation before federally assisted renovation?
- Built before 1978 (Correct answer)
- Built before 1960
- Built before 1990
- Built before 1950
Correct answer: Built before 1978
The HUD Lead Safe Housing Rule defines target housing as residential dwellings built before 1978, when lead-based paint was banned for residential use.
Question 2: What is the EPA's action level for lead in drinking water that triggers public water systems to take corrective action?
- 15 µg/L (Correct answer)
- 5 µg/L
- 25 µg/L
- 50 µg/L
Correct answer: 15 µg/L
The EPA action level for lead in drinking water is 15 micrograms per liter (µg/L or ppb); systems exceeding this must take corrective action.
Question 3: Which federal program requires landlords and sellers to disclose known lead-based paint hazards in pre-1978 housing before sale or lease?
- Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act (Title X) (Correct answer)
- National Environmental Policy Act
- Clean Air Act Section 112
- Resource Conservation and Recovery Act
Correct answer: Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act (Title X)
Title X of the Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act mandates disclosure of known lead-based paint and hazards in pre-1978 housing transactions.
Question 4: Radon gas in homes is primarily a byproduct of which naturally occurring radioactive decay chain?
- Uranium-238 decay to radium-226 to radon-222 (Correct answer)
- Thorium-232 decay to radon-220 only
- Carbon-14 decay in soil
- Potassium-40 decay in building materials
Correct answer: Uranium-238 decay to radium-226 to radon-222
Radon-222 is produced from the radioactive decay of radium-226, which itself comes from the uranium-238 decay chain naturally present in soil and rock.
Question 5: The EPA recommends mitigation when indoor radon levels reach or exceed which concentration?
- 4 pCi/L (Correct answer)
- 2 pCi/L
- 10 pCi/L
- 20 pCi/L
Correct answer: 4 pCi/L
The EPA recommends taking action to reduce radon when levels reach 4 picocuries per liter (pCi/L) or higher in a home.
Question 6: Which mold genus is most commonly associated with water-damaged buildings and classified as a 'black mold' of public health concern?
- Stachybotrys chartarum (Correct answer)
- Penicillium notatum
- Aspergillus niger
- Cladosporium herbarum
Correct answer: Stachybotrys chartarum
Stachybotrys chartarum is the mold commonly called 'black mold' and is associated with chronic water damage; it produces trichothecene mycotoxins of public health concern.
Question 7: According to the International Property Maintenance Code, what minimum ceiling height is required for habitable rooms?
- 7 feet (2134 mm) (Correct answer)
- 6 feet (1829 mm)
- 8 feet (2438 mm)
- 6.5 feet (1981 mm)
Correct answer: 7 feet (2134 mm)
The International Property Maintenance Code requires habitable rooms to have a minimum ceiling height of 7 feet (2134 mm) for at least 50% of the floor area.
NEHA Housing and Built Environment 1
Under the HUD Lead Safe Housing Rule, at what age is a dwelling considered 'target housing' requiring lead hazard evaluation before federally assisted renovation?