You may have read that the 2010 budget for CPSC has been released and with it were highlights on what will be focused on for the upcoming year. The most critical one may be their review of x-ray fluorescence (XRF) as an effective instrument to measure lead and other hazardous substances.

As noted on one website that reported on this…

Staff to Complete Report on Using XRF to Measure Lead in Paint:In 2010, CPSC will complete a draft status report on the effectiveness of XRF and other alternative technologies for the measurement of lead in paint.

With the deadline to show compliance of products to CPSIA in August, many are hopeful that a report and decision will be offered well in advance because many businesses are looking for a cost efficient method of lead detection...and XRF can offer that.

Let’s keep in mind where XRF is currently an approved testing method for lead…

The electronics industry adopted XRF as a tool for testing electronics and electronic products for compliance with the European Union’s RoHS Directive (IEC Test Method 62321) that went into effect July 1, 2006. This acknowledges that XRF can be used as an initial screening device that may require additional testing afterwards.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency adopted XRF technology in the 1990’s to screen soil for heavy metals (US EPA Method 6200, part of SW-846), as well as ASTM Practice E 2119-00 for lead in paint and other coatings.
The U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) has had XRF guidelines for assessing lead-based paint hazards in housing for more than 10 years. (HUD Guidelines, Chapter 7, 1997 revision)

XRF can certainly provide an effective method of screening for hazardous substances in product (you may have read that CPSC actually utilizes handheld XRF themselves). The technology offers a pass/fail result that will let a business know if they should be pursuing outside testing for confirmation - and does so quickly and nondestructively.

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RoHS and Lead Testing

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RoHS and Lead Testing

Wednesday, July 15, 2009