Getting the Lead Out

Introduction

Everyone is becoming more aware of the influx of dangerous substances, specifically lead, being found in our everyday articles. Lead has been found in paints, plastics, and metal commonly used in toys. Compounding the problem even further is the difficulty in identifying which items contain harmful substances and which do not. This article investigates Energy Dispersive X-Ray’s ability to identify lead in common constituents of toys, specifically in paints, resins, and metal.

March 28, 2008 GMT