Screening Children's Jewelry with Handheld XRF
It's no secret that lead in children's jewelry has become a major issue for consumers, legislators, the media, and you, the manufacturers, suppliers, and retailers offering fashion jewelry to the public.
With concerns over the millions of pieces of children's metal jewelry recalled for hazardous levels of lead over the past few years as well as other recalled child-accessible products, the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA), also known as H.R. 4040, was signed into law. What are the highlights of this law and what do they mean to you?
Watch CPSC video
- Decreased permissible levels of lead in paint
- Regulated levels of lead in all other materials
- Increased civil penalties
- Critical deadlines for lower lead content starting on February 10, 2009
Handheld XRF – It's the Charm
With handheld Thermo Scientific Niton x-ray fluorescence (XRF) analyzers, often referred to as the "XRF testing gun" and now available with GOLDD™ technology, you can confidently screen children's jewelry for lead and other toxic metals. Quickly. Accurately. Precisely.
Like toy screening, an effective program to screen jewelry for toxic metals using handheld XRF analysis greatly reduces the chances that lead containing materials will enter the manufacturing process, or accidentally end up on store shelves. This starts with a process that includes rapid screening of metals, plastic, wood, fabrics, and paints:
- At the receiving dock
- In the warehouse
- During product assembly
- Even at vendor sites, including testing through packaging to save time
You, and all stakeholders can implement a standardized inspection protocol for incoming shipments to verify compliance, while simultaneously requiring supply chain documentation based on empirical testing. The further back in the supply chain that the lead testing for children's metal jewelry takes place, the easier it is to prevent lead from entering the hands of a child.
Thermo Scientific Niton XRF Analyzers – The Ideal Screening Tools
Operating as either a handheld tool or integrated into an optional test stand with included PC-based software, Thermo Scientific Niton XRF analyzers, from the value choice Niton® XL2 to our Niton XL3 Series, are the ideal tools to screen children's jewelry for lead and the seven other regulated elements in products designed for children under the age of 12 (barium, antimony, selenium, cadmium, mercury, arsenic, hexavalent chromium).
What's more, they are the only handheld XRF analyzers that are capable of differentiating between lead on the surface of an object and lead that exists in all other substrates (there are limitations associated with plated material). You benefit in a variety of ways from these remarkable tools:
- Fast – Screening takes seconds to minutes, not days. Decision to ship product can happen immediately
- Flexible – Screen fashion jewelry and other child-accessible products for compliance with CPSIA, EN-71 and California's Proposition 65
- Easy to use – TestAll™ Technology automatically selects the correct analytical mode for non-technical users
- Powerful – Optional camera and small spot helps you accurately isolate small samples & visually document your measurements
- Non-destructive – The analyzed product is not defaced or affected in any way
- Handheld – You can test for lead in-situ on the children's metal jewelry item, in the factory, product integrity lab, on the dock, or in the warehouse
Get a Bead on Lead with Niton XRF Analyzers
Discover why major toy and consumer goods manufacturers, retailers, Internet shopping sites, as well as the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and the European Union's Product Safety Enforcement Forum (PROSAFE) have all chosen and trust the handheld Thermo Scientific Niton XRF analyzer. Register for our next webinar.
Contact us today for a demonstration and discover how these versatile instruments can easily help you meet the requirements of the CPSIA and keep our children safe!
US Consumer Product Safety Commission list of recalls for lead exposure hazard to date.
