Researchers tested products using a handheld x-ray fluorescence (XRF) device manufactured by Innov-X Systems. The XRF analyzer uses a technology known as x-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometry to detect certain chemical elements such as lead, cadmium, chlorine, arsenic, mercury, tin, and antimony.
The elemental composition of the materials reveals the presence of potentially dangerous chemicals such as heavy metals, and also allows researchers to infer the possible presence of toxic chemicals, including brominated flame retardants (BFRs); polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and phthalate plasticizers. We have translated the research results into a HealthyToys.org toy ranking system to allow users to easily compare the chemical levels of a variety of popular toys and children's products.
Some toys, children's products and jewelry were tested for lead levels using non-XRF technology. Toys and childrens' products tested with this methodology are noted in the database.
Total lead analysis was performed to determine the amount of lead present in an item or component of an item, such as a charm or pendant. First, jewelry and component samples were collected and any coatings present on the items were removed to be sampled separately. Care was taken to prevent damaging the underlying metal and contaminating the samples. Next, the samples were chemically digested (dissolved) in nitric acid. Once the sample was completely dissolved, it was diluted so that it could be accurately analyzed using atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS). For every tenth sample, a duplicate was created and tested to ensure accuracy (Weidenhamer & Clement 2007).