The ASTM F15.22 Toy Safety Committee has just published revisions to its U.S. Toy Safety Standard, F963-16, covering the safety of all toys sold in the United States.
Integral among the new changes is a provision allowing for the use of High-Definition X-Ray Fluorescence, or HDXRF, to measure the presence of toxic heavy metals in toys. Compared to traditional wet chemistry testing, HDXRF is much faster, more cost-effective, more efficient, safer and as reliable – enabling toy manufacturers and importers to test more for less.
To learn more about the New Changes to the U.S. Toy Safety Standard, ASTM F963-16, view our webinar with Quin Dodd, noted CPSC/CPSIA Attorney and Expert, and former Chief of Staff at the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
Traditional testing methods take hours to complete preparation and analysis. With HDXRF, testing only takes three to ten minutes depending on the substrate, enabling laboratories to significantly speed up their workflow.
Jay Burdett, Vice President of Engineering for XOS
XOS has been manufacturing HDXRF instruments since 2008 and is thrilled with the opportunity to provide a rapid, cost-effective and fully reliable means of testing for heavy metals.
Understanding that HDXRF is reliably effective for measuring lead, beginning in 2014 the CPSC began evaluating it for the measurement of the other seven metals limited in U.S. toys (As, Ba, Cd, Cr, Hg, Sb and Se), and found it to be equally as effective in plastics, the most common material found in toys.
CPSC then advocated for adoption of HDXRF as an allowable, alternative means of testing for all eight heavy metals in plastics in toys. Today’s action by the ASTM Toy Safety Committee endorses the CPSC’s position and formally recognizes HDXRF as an alternative means for laboratories to test for heavy metals.
About XOS
XOS is a leading manufacturer of application-specific X-ray analyzers, offering elemental analysis solutions that improve public safety and efficiency in industries like petroleum, consumer products (e.g. toys), and environmental compliance. XOS offers analyzers for the detection of toxic elements in consumer products, as well as portable, lab, and process analyzers for petroleum applications and analyzers to detect toxic elements in consumer products and the environment.