Lead Dust Detected in Duke University Building

4/17/2024

Many maintenance and engineering managers have revamped their facilities’ ventilation and air filtration systems and practices in response to the airborne threat from the coronavirus. That threat to the health and safety of building occupants and staff emerged in early 2020, but another such threat — lead — predated the pandemic and continues to cause problems for facilities. 

Duke University recently announced that lead dust was detected in the pool maintenance area of Brodie Aquatics Center and on the floor in other parts of Brodie Recreation Center, causing the gym’s indefinite closure, according to The Chronicle.  

During renovation work for the pool at Brodie Recreation Center, paint disturbed on a ceiling support structure was subsequently determined to contain lead, according to a release from the university. Initial testing detected lead dust in the pool maintenance area, which was already closed to gym users.  

Additional testing of the facility detected lead in dust on the floor in other parts of the building, and facilities and employee health and wellness teams decided to close the entire facility while lead decontamination takes place. The university notified 2,800 people who had entered the facility since the paint was disturbed. 

Dan Hounsell is senior editor for the facilities market. He has more than 30 years of experience writing about facilities maintenance, engineering and management.