Monday, January 28, 2008
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Saturday, November 17, 2007
Home Lead Tests Unreliable
It would figure that the day after I listed the benefits of home lead test kits, I came across this release from the Consumer Product Safety Commission explaining why home lead tests can be reliable. It's taken directly from their site, but if you want more info on that or anything else, you can find it at www.cpsc.gov.
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
Office of Information and Public Affairs
Washington, DC 20207
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEOctober 22, 2007Release #08-038
CPSC Hotline: (800) 638-2772CPSC Media Contact: (301) 504-7908
CPSC Staff Study: Home Lead Test Kits Unreliable
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) today announced the results of a special evaluation of consumer lead test kits. CPSC staff used commonly available test kits on a variety of paints and other products containing different levels of lead. Many of the tests performed using the kits did not detect lead when it was there (false negatives); some indicated lead was present when it was not (false positives). Of 104 total test results, more than half (56) were false negatives, and two were false positives. None of the kits consistently detected lead in products if the lead was covered with a non-leaded coating. Based on the study consumers should not use lead test kits to evaluate consumer products for potential lead hazards. These findings are consistent with previous CPSC staff test results.
CPSC staff studied two common types of home lead test kits that are based on chemical reactions involving rhodizonate ion or sulfide ion. Most test kits were developed to detect levels of lead in household paint that are usually much higher than CPSC’s regulatory maximum level of 0.06%. As a result, staff found that these kits may not be useful for detecting relatively low lead paint concentrations or for detecting lead in other materials, such as metal jewelry or vinyl products. Also, both types of kits may be affected by substances such as iron, tin, or dirt, or by paint colors that can cause the color in the test kit to change or hide the color change, thereby interfering with interpretation of the test results.
As part of the study of lead test kits, CPSC staff also evaluated the use of x-ray fluorescence (XRF) for screening for lead in paint and other products. Twelve of 13 samples were correctly identified as containing lead. The staff notes that this technology may be of use by a professional inspector for screening for the presence or absence of lead in products, particularly for surface level lead. However, XRF detectors are generally not available for consumer use. Further, use of an XRF device requires knowledge, training and consideration of its limitations. For example, XRF detectors have limited depth of penetration so, for certain applications such as children's metal jewelry, it is possible for the surface coating to mask the presence of potentially hazardous leaded base metal underneath.
Consumers should exercise caution when using these test kits to evaluate consumer products for potential lead exposures. False results can make it difficult or impossible for consumers to determine the proper course of action to take. In fact, CPSC staff has tested a number of other samples that had been identified by consumers and others based on their use of inexpensive test kits as having high lead levels. To date, none of these items has actually had high lead levels based on CPSC lab analysis. This is another indication of the poor reliability of the kits for this purpose. Testing by a qualified laboratory and trained personnel is the only way to accurately assess the potential risk posed by a consumer product that may contain lead.
Consumers can stay informed of lead-related recalls by signing up for email announcements at www.cpsc.gov. Consumers who suspect that their child has been exposed to excessive levels of lead, should immediately contact a physician.
---
Send the link for this page to a friend! The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of serious injury or death from more than 15,000 types of consumer products under the agency's jurisdiction. Deaths, injuries and property damage from consumer product incidents cost the nation more than $700 billion annually. The CPSC is committed to protecting consumers and families from products that pose a fire, electrical, chemical, or mechanical hazard or can injure children. The CPSC's work to ensure the safety of consumer products - such as toys, cribs, power tools, cigarette lighters, and household chemicals - contributed significantly to the 30 percent decline in the rate of deaths and injuries associated with consumer products over the past 30 years.
To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury, call CPSC's hotline at (800) 638-2772 or CPSC's teletypewriter at (800) 638-8270, or visit CPSC's web site at www.cpsc.gov/talk.html. To join a CPSC email subscription list, please go to www.cpsc.gov/cpsclist.aspx. Consumers can obtain this release and recall information at CPSC's Web site at www.cpsc.gov.
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
Office of Information and Public Affairs
Washington, DC 20207
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEOctober 22, 2007Release #08-038
CPSC Hotline: (800) 638-2772CPSC Media Contact: (301) 504-7908
CPSC Staff Study: Home Lead Test Kits Unreliable
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) today announced the results of a special evaluation of consumer lead test kits. CPSC staff used commonly available test kits on a variety of paints and other products containing different levels of lead. Many of the tests performed using the kits did not detect lead when it was there (false negatives); some indicated lead was present when it was not (false positives). Of 104 total test results, more than half (56) were false negatives, and two were false positives. None of the kits consistently detected lead in products if the lead was covered with a non-leaded coating. Based on the study consumers should not use lead test kits to evaluate consumer products for potential lead hazards. These findings are consistent with previous CPSC staff test results.
CPSC staff studied two common types of home lead test kits that are based on chemical reactions involving rhodizonate ion or sulfide ion. Most test kits were developed to detect levels of lead in household paint that are usually much higher than CPSC’s regulatory maximum level of 0.06%. As a result, staff found that these kits may not be useful for detecting relatively low lead paint concentrations or for detecting lead in other materials, such as metal jewelry or vinyl products. Also, both types of kits may be affected by substances such as iron, tin, or dirt, or by paint colors that can cause the color in the test kit to change or hide the color change, thereby interfering with interpretation of the test results.
As part of the study of lead test kits, CPSC staff also evaluated the use of x-ray fluorescence (XRF) for screening for lead in paint and other products. Twelve of 13 samples were correctly identified as containing lead. The staff notes that this technology may be of use by a professional inspector for screening for the presence or absence of lead in products, particularly for surface level lead. However, XRF detectors are generally not available for consumer use. Further, use of an XRF device requires knowledge, training and consideration of its limitations. For example, XRF detectors have limited depth of penetration so, for certain applications such as children's metal jewelry, it is possible for the surface coating to mask the presence of potentially hazardous leaded base metal underneath.
Consumers should exercise caution when using these test kits to evaluate consumer products for potential lead exposures. False results can make it difficult or impossible for consumers to determine the proper course of action to take. In fact, CPSC staff has tested a number of other samples that had been identified by consumers and others based on their use of inexpensive test kits as having high lead levels. To date, none of these items has actually had high lead levels based on CPSC lab analysis. This is another indication of the poor reliability of the kits for this purpose. Testing by a qualified laboratory and trained personnel is the only way to accurately assess the potential risk posed by a consumer product that may contain lead.
Consumers can stay informed of lead-related recalls by signing up for email announcements at www.cpsc.gov. Consumers who suspect that their child has been exposed to excessive levels of lead, should immediately contact a physician.
---
Send the link for this page to a friend! The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of serious injury or death from more than 15,000 types of consumer products under the agency's jurisdiction. Deaths, injuries and property damage from consumer product incidents cost the nation more than $700 billion annually. The CPSC is committed to protecting consumers and families from products that pose a fire, electrical, chemical, or mechanical hazard or can injure children. The CPSC's work to ensure the safety of consumer products - such as toys, cribs, power tools, cigarette lighters, and household chemicals - contributed significantly to the 30 percent decline in the rate of deaths and injuries associated with consumer products over the past 30 years.
To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury, call CPSC's hotline at (800) 638-2772 or CPSC's teletypewriter at (800) 638-8270, or visit CPSC's web site at www.cpsc.gov/talk.html. To join a CPSC email subscription list, please go to www.cpsc.gov/cpsclist.aspx. Consumers can obtain this release and recall information at CPSC's Web site at www.cpsc.gov.
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Home Lead Testing Kits
With the rise of recalls due to toxic levels of lead, people have been more and more mindful of the things they buy - and the things already in their homes. Fortunately, there are ways to help ensure your family's safety, without having to throw everything away or sending soil or paint samples to a laboratory.
THE HOME LEAD TESTING KIT
You can test samples of paint, dust, drinking water and soil to see if they contain lead easily with a home test kit. Different test kits are used to test different types of materials for lead, so be sure to use the correct kit for the type of sample you are testing.
It's easy to use a home test kit for paint. The first step in testing paint is to cut a small patch from the painted surface. Expose all the layers of paint down to the surface. Put some of the chemical included in the kit on the exposed area. The easiest test kits to read use a chemical that turns red or pink if lead is present.
Look for full directions and chemical change information on the package.
The advantages of home test kits include low cost, ease of use and quick results. However, the home test kits do not tell you how much lead is present.
Some home test kits will also work on ceramics, drinking water, dust and soil. Home test kits can be found in many paint, hardware and building supply stores.
I went on some searches for home lead testing kits, and found that (online, anyway) most of these places are sold out. If you do a search, try using keywords "household home lead testing kit" - this seemed to bring up more results for me.
I'm putting some links here from Amazon.com (it's the only place I could find any kits that wasn't sold out) so that you can look through and get an idea of what you'll be dealing with (and how much you might be paying) if you buy an at home lead testing kit.
Even though there may not be any test kits available online, try checking your local stores, since sales on these home lead test kits are booming and it would make sense that stores would be stocking as many as possible. Ask about the different types of kits (paint, soil, etc) and make sure that you're getting what you need, not the one that the salesperson wants to sell you.
The ones listed here don't seem to have descriptions, but the First Alert kit says it includes 4 different tests. These products are listed as being sold from stores such as TrueValue and Ace Hardware, so if you have either of these stores in your area you might be able to find these products there, and be able to actually see the package and get accurate descriptions of which type of testing they are for. You might also try Home Depot or any other home-improvement type stores.
THE HOME LEAD TESTING KIT
You can test samples of paint, dust, drinking water and soil to see if they contain lead easily with a home test kit. Different test kits are used to test different types of materials for lead, so be sure to use the correct kit for the type of sample you are testing.
It's easy to use a home test kit for paint. The first step in testing paint is to cut a small patch from the painted surface. Expose all the layers of paint down to the surface. Put some of the chemical included in the kit on the exposed area. The easiest test kits to read use a chemical that turns red or pink if lead is present.
Look for full directions and chemical change information on the package.
The advantages of home test kits include low cost, ease of use and quick results. However, the home test kits do not tell you how much lead is present.
Some home test kits will also work on ceramics, drinking water, dust and soil. Home test kits can be found in many paint, hardware and building supply stores.
I went on some searches for home lead testing kits, and found that (online, anyway) most of these places are sold out. If you do a search, try using keywords "household home lead testing kit" - this seemed to bring up more results for me.
I'm putting some links here from Amazon.com (it's the only place I could find any kits that wasn't sold out) so that you can look through and get an idea of what you'll be dealing with (and how much you might be paying) if you buy an at home lead testing kit.
Even though there may not be any test kits available online, try checking your local stores, since sales on these home lead test kits are booming and it would make sense that stores would be stocking as many as possible. Ask about the different types of kits (paint, soil, etc) and make sure that you're getting what you need, not the one that the salesperson wants to sell you.
The ones listed here don't seem to have descriptions, but the First Alert kit says it includes 4 different tests. These products are listed as being sold from stores such as TrueValue and Ace Hardware, so if you have either of these stores in your area you might be able to find these products there, and be able to actually see the package and get accurate descriptions of which type of testing they are for. You might also try Home Depot or any other home-improvement type stores.
Monday, November 12, 2007
Sunday, November 11, 2007
the Re-appearance of Lead Dangers
We all know that living in a house built before 1980 (especially if you have children) is a potential lead hazard, especially if there is peeling paint. Some residential and work areas still have traces of lead in the soil, especially if it is near a highway, since lead in gasoline wasn't entirely phased out until 1995.
Children with harmful levels of lead in their blood dropped 85% between 1978 and 1998. Despite the huge improvement over the last 30 years, recently we've become privvy to a new source of lead poison - our own children's toys. Huge retailers such as Fisher Price (which manufactures Mattel toys as well) have issued disturbingly long lists of recalled toys for potential lead hazards. You can see a recall list here, complete with pictures, but I couldn't find an update date listed, though I think this was released in August 2007 : http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml07/07257.html
(More recal lists at bottom of post).
RISKS OF LEAD
While adults absorb about 11 percent of lead reaching the digestive tract, children may absorb 30 to 75 percent. When lead is inhaled, up to 50 percent is absorbed, but less than 1 percent of lead is absorbed when it comes in contact with the skin. The body stores lead mainly in bone, where it can accumulate for decades.
Lead disrupts the functioning of almost every brain neurotransmitter. Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers between the body's nerve cells. Things such as calcium, which are essential for blood clotting and heart activity, can be affected by lead exposure, in turn throwing a person's entire body into disarray.
Unborn children can be permanently affected by the Mother being exposed to lead. Delays in early sensory-motor development from neurological problems are the least of these - high lead exposure can lead a baby to be born prematurely, underweight, or even lead to miscarriage or stillbirth. If you are pregnant or suspect that you are, PLEASE do whatever possible to ensure that you are not in contact with lead. I will list information sites and tips at the bottom of this post.
A child's exposure to even low lead levels may result in learning or behavioral problems.
Higher levels of exposure in children can be associated with anemia and changes in kidney function, as well as significant changes in the nervous system that may, at extreme exposures, include seizures, coma and death.
In adults, lead exposure can cause reproductive issues and high blood pressure.
Severe lead poisoning in adults doesn't differ much from children - it can lead to seizures, coma, and death.
SYMPTOMS OF LEAD POISONING
Symptoms can vary greatly depending on the age of the exposed person, the amount of lead that they were exposed to, and the length of time that they were exposed.
Some common sysmptoms include:
Children with harmful levels of lead in their blood dropped 85% between 1978 and 1998. Despite the huge improvement over the last 30 years, recently we've become privvy to a new source of lead poison - our own children's toys. Huge retailers such as Fisher Price (which manufactures Mattel toys as well) have issued disturbingly long lists of recalled toys for potential lead hazards. You can see a recall list here, complete with pictures, but I couldn't find an update date listed, though I think this was released in August 2007 : http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml07/07257.html
(More recal lists at bottom of post).
RISKS OF LEAD
While adults absorb about 11 percent of lead reaching the digestive tract, children may absorb 30 to 75 percent. When lead is inhaled, up to 50 percent is absorbed, but less than 1 percent of lead is absorbed when it comes in contact with the skin. The body stores lead mainly in bone, where it can accumulate for decades.
Lead disrupts the functioning of almost every brain neurotransmitter. Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers between the body's nerve cells. Things such as calcium, which are essential for blood clotting and heart activity, can be affected by lead exposure, in turn throwing a person's entire body into disarray.
Unborn children can be permanently affected by the Mother being exposed to lead. Delays in early sensory-motor development from neurological problems are the least of these - high lead exposure can lead a baby to be born prematurely, underweight, or even lead to miscarriage or stillbirth. If you are pregnant or suspect that you are, PLEASE do whatever possible to ensure that you are not in contact with lead. I will list information sites and tips at the bottom of this post.
A child's exposure to even low lead levels may result in learning or behavioral problems.
Higher levels of exposure in children can be associated with anemia and changes in kidney function, as well as significant changes in the nervous system that may, at extreme exposures, include seizures, coma and death.
In adults, lead exposure can cause reproductive issues and high blood pressure.
Severe lead poisoning in adults doesn't differ much from children - it can lead to seizures, coma, and death.
SYMPTOMS OF LEAD POISONING
Symptoms can vary greatly depending on the age of the exposed person, the amount of lead that they were exposed to, and the length of time that they were exposed.
Some common sysmptoms include:
- Headache;
- Irritability
- Abdominal pain;
- Subtle loss of recently aqcuired skills;
- bizarre behavior (unlike the person would normally behave);
- listlessness;
- incoordination;
- vomiting;
- lethargy;
- appetite loss;
- constipation.
There are times however, where a child or person may not report any symptoms at all - so if you're not sure or suspect that they've been exposed to lead, contact your doctor immediately.
MORE INFORMATION
American Association of Poison Control Centers
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention
Consumer Product Safety Commission
1-800-638-CPSC
TDD: 1-800-638-8270
Environmental Protection Agency's Safe Drinking Water Hotline
1-800-426-4791
National Lead Information Center1-800-LEAD-FYIclearinghouse:
1-800-424-LEADTDD: 1-800-526-5456
Lead Exposure Risk Assessment Questionairre
RECALL LISTS:
Children's Toys:
Fisher-Price GeoTrax Locomotive Toys
Schylling Associates Thomas the Tank & Curious George toys
Martin Designs Inc. Spongebob Squarepants Character Address Books and Journals
Complete Lists of Mattel's Recalled Toys
More at Consumer Product Safety Commission Website
Pet Foods:
Lists of several recalled pet foods by brand/store (scroll to bottom of the page, contains both dog and cat foods)
I haven't been able to find any sites listing recalled or hazardous pet toys, but in leou of the children's toy recalls, I would suggest that you either refrain from buying your pet tos for a while, or pay very close attention when you do. Here's an article that offers advice for buying safe toys for your pets.
Friday, November 9, 2007
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