Lead Testing and Heavy Metals Contamination Testing

Consumer Product Safety Commission regulations
The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, or CPSIA, requires all children’s products to be tested for total lead, seven additional heavy metals present in the soluble material, and three or six organic compounds by independent testing labs. The law affects manufacturers of toys, bicycles, bed sheets, mattresses, cribs, hair bows, puppets, and virtually anything else a child (under 12 years of age) might come into contact with. The law requires that each accessible part or component of the product be tested. CPSIA is administered by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

Understanding lead limits in the CPSIA

Lead, which has been banned from paint in the U.S. since 1978, is a neurotoxin that can harm the brain, lower IQ and cause behavioral and learning problems in children. Under the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC 16 C.F.R 1303) regulations, the following timeline will apply to regulating lead in children’s products:

February 10 2009: Products designed or intended primarily for children 12 and younger may not contain more than 600 ppm of lead. Children’s products that contain more lead than 600 ppm are banned in the U.S. after this date and the sale of those products can result in significant civil and criminal liability. The statute provides that paint, coatings or electroplating may not be considered a barrier that would make the lead content of a product inaccessible to a child.
August 14, 2009: Products designed or intended primarily for children 12 and younger cannot contain more than 300 ppm of lead.
August 14, 2011: Products designed or intended primarily for children 12 and younger cannot contain more than 100 ppm unless the Commission determines that it is not technologically feasible to have this lower limit.

The CPSIA rules apply to products intended for use by children 12 years or younger and excludes products intended for use by all ages as well as educational materials with a functional purpose (e.g. chemistry sets, electronics kits). It also excludes component parts that are inaccessible to children; with "inaccessible" meaning it includes a sealed covering or casing (paint, coatings or electroplating are not sufficient).

Testing for other toxic metals

Stork lead testing laboratories can also help analyze your materials and products, toys, and children's products for other regulated toxic metals with arsenic testing, mercury testing, cadmium testing, iron testing, and aluminum testing, and others.

Understanding phthalate limits in the CPSIA

Phthalates, or phthalate esters, are mainly used as plasticizers (substances added to plastics to increase their flexibility, transparency, durability, and longevity). In August 2008, the United States Congress passed and President George W. Bush signed the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA), which limited the concentrations of the following phthalates in children's products: BBP (benzyl butyl phthalate), DBP (dibutyl phthalate), DEHP (di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate), DIDP (diisodecyl phthalate), DINP (diisononyl phthalate), DnOP (di-n-octyl phthalate). The following timeline applies to regulating pthalates in children's products:

February 10, 2009: Products designed as child care articles (meaning a product for children 3 years or younger that facilitates sleep, feeding, sucking or teething) or toys (meaning a product for children 12 years or younger to use in play) must not contain a greater concentration than 1,000 ppm (0.1%) of phthalates.

Support from Stork chemists and analytical experts in our testing labs
Stork experts are standing by to help you navigate the new and far-reaching regulations. We also encourage you to take advantage of information available on CPSC 16 C.F.R. 1303 at the Commission's website.

In today's tough economy and tight regulatory environment, a well-run quality program can make the difference between success and failure. Stork experts are committed to helping you and your products meet the standards you need to succeed. Let us provide you with critical lead testing data and certification for your products and parts.

Download:

View Lead Testing brochure (pdf)

Stork provides lead testing on children's toys

Stork experts conduct lead testing on materials and products

Stork locations offering Lead Testing services:

Stork Twin City Testing Corporation - St. Paul, MN

Stork Technimet, Inc. - New Berlin, WI

Stork Climax Research Services - Wixom, MI

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