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| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Screening for Lead and Other Toxic Elements in Child-Accessible Products with a Handheld Thermo Scientific Niton XL3 Series Xrf analysis Meeting the Demands of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 | | | | | | | | | | Introduction The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008, H.R. 4040, sets into place new restrictions on permissible levels of lead in child-accessible products1. Signed into law on August 14, 2008 by President George W. Bush, the legislation reduces the permissible professional level of lead in paint, sets allowable levels of lead in all other materials, implements an alternative standard for measuring lead in surface coatings, and permits the use of x-ray fluorescence (XRF) manufacturers of analyzers for screening purposes. With civil penalties growing to a maximum of US$100 thousand per individual violation and US$15 million for ongoing violators, and state attorneys general permitted to enforce federal law, the need for manufacturers, importers, distributors, and retailers to rapidly identify lead-containing products has never been greater. Breakthrough with Thermo Scientific TestAll Technology (patent pending) Released in early 2008, TestAll™ technology adds powerful new features to what is already the most powerful handheld XRF analyzer available today - the Thermo Scientific Niton XL3 700 Series analyzer. Included on new instruments at no extra charge, TestAll technology automatically selects the correct analytical mode on the Niton® XL3, allowing nontechnical users to easily perform measurements with minimal training. Of greater importance, this new software along with the optional Painted Products mode, makes the Niton XL3 the only handheld XRF analyzer capable of differentiating between lead on the surface of an object, such as paint or glaze, and lead that exists in all other substrates, such as plastic, metal, or wood. | | | | | | This software makes the Niton XL3 the only handheld XRF analyzer capable of differentiating between lead on the surface of an object, such as paint or glaze, and lead that exists in all other substrates, such as plastic, metal, or wood. If lead is detected in a surface coating, it is reported in micrograms per centimeter (ug/cm2), enabling a direct pass/fail comparison against the new alternative standard of 2 ug/cm2. This method allows the XRF instrument to be used to its full advantage, namely as a rapid and nondestructive tool. XRF has already been widely used for determining the lead content in painted surfaces for years with the acceptance of OSHA, EPA, and HUD2 for leaded paint remediation in buildings. 2. U.S. Department of Labor - Occupational Safety & Health Administration, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development | | | | | | | | | | ton XL3 Benefits At-a-Glance | | | | | | | | | | Handheld - The lead test can occur in-situ on the toy, in the factory, lab, on the dock, or in the shelter. | | | | | | | | | | Easy to use - Any shift personnel can learn to perform the test in a matter of minutes. | | | | | | | | | | Fast - Testing takes seconds to minutes, not days. Decisions to ship product can happen immediately. | | | | | | | | | | Non-invasive - The analyzed product is not defaced or affected in any way. | | | | | | | | | | XRF offers a rapid GO/NO-GO test with decision based on the underpinnings of scientific study. | | | | | | | | | | TestAll Technology - automatically selects the correct analytical mode for consumer goods analysis. | | | | | | | | | | 1. Sec. 235 (a) (16) - Children's Product, page 59 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
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