Standardization News

"Frequent testing of children's products aids in identifying sources of lead contamination and ultimately prevents out-of-compliance merchandise from reaching store shelves," says Berry Beumer, vice president, XOS Inc., and chairman of the task group that developed F2853.

F2853 provides a convenient means to test for lead using the energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy technique. Such testing will ensure that toys and other children's products will comply with laws (such as the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008) that are currently being enforced by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

According to Beumer, the HDXRF test described enables lead quantification separately for the substrate and paint level in a 5-minute measurement cycle.

All interested parties are invited to join the task group responsible for F2853.

"While the presence of lead has been of primary concern to industry, other harmful elements such as cadmium, arsenic and antimony are now also under scrutiny," notes Beumer. "The task group is anticipating continued expansion of F2853 to include these and other elements in the standard. Additional interlaboratory studies will be required for the precision and bias statements for these elements, and the continued participation of third party test labs and toy and apparel manufacturers in such studies will be helpful in expanding the scope of F2853."

To purchase ASTM standards, visit www.astm.org and search by the standard designation number, or contact ASTM Customer Relations (phone: 610-832-9585).

CONTACT Technical Information: Berry Beumer, XOS Inc. • East Greenbush, N.Y. • Phone: 518-880-1500, ext. 400 • E-mail: bbeumer@xos.com O ASTM Staff: Brynn Murphy • Phone: 610-832-9640 • E-mail: bmurphy@astm.org O Upcoming Meeting: Nov. 17-19 • November Committee Week • San Antonio, Texa

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43 Search and Rescue

44 Baseball Performance

45 Children's Bicycles

45 Rock Abrasiveness

46 Fire Resistance

46 Metallography

47 Truck-Bus Tires

48 Carbon Black

49 Thermoplastic Elastomers

49 Textile Fibers

50 Sensory Evaluation

50 Zirconium

51 Medical Equipment

51 Oil Spill Response Vessels

52 Vegetative Roof Systems

53 Gypsum Drywall

53 Arthroplasty

54 Aerospace Bearing Materials

54 Cementitious Grout