Items found to contain heavy metals

Found in some of the consumer products that were tested was lead, cadmium, antimony and other heavy metals.  The biggest offenders were purses, jewelry and ceramics, of which several of the items could be considered children’s products.  Children’s products are subject to regulations regarding the amount of lead that is permitted in the item.  The legal limit in total content that is permitted in a children’s products is 300 parts per million (PPM), unless it is a painted item, and, that amount of lead permitted is only 90 PPM. 

Essco Safety Check does not know who donated the items, when they were donated, if the items were purchased brand new and then brought immediately to the charity or if these items were purchased ten years ago and now just being donated.  Essco Safety Check has attempted to contact each manufacturer or importer of the items with information that was found about each product.  Of the findings, the readings are from X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) analyzers which determine if the heavy metal is present and how much is present in total content.
 
Several name brand items were found to contain lead in including;

Several other purses were found to contain 1000s of PPM of lead, as well as a ceramic mug which appears to have lead in the glaze or ceramic at about 8400 PPM of lead which is 28 times over the legal limit for lead in a children’s product, this ceramic looked designed for a child.

Another example, one brand of jewelry tested appears to contain high quantities of lead in the metal.  In several pins, which according to the company’s compliance officer is not considered a child’s product, was last manufactured in 2005.  Since these products were manufactured before the Children’s Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) was enacted, the law establishing limits of lead in children’s products, this product and other products are not subject to the regulations.  This creates a potential problem because these items are grandfather in.  This jewelry was found to contain lead in the metal ranging from 21.96% to 47.39% and antimony from 8084 PPM to 1.43%.  These are unacceptable amounts.  Even though the compliance officer said the pins were not designed or marketed to children, some people may think otherwise because of the packaging and design. In another piece of jewelry from the same distributor (again packaging appears to target children) was found with 4.69% of lead.

The pin found with 47.39% lead contains 1580 times the legal limit.

These results pose several questions:

1.  What are charities or thrift stores suppose to do to ensure the safety of the products that they donate or sell?  How do we let the public know that these products are not regulated the same as new products?
2.  How is the CPSC going to protect children from potentially harmful items if regulations are only applied to new purchases, yet some newly donated items, are in-fact several years old and thus grandfathered in the regulations?
3.  Why do we have different regulations for different products?  Children’s products, medical devices, ceramics, all have different regulations regarding heavy metals, unless they are designed and marketed to children. 

In discussions with the product manufacturers and importers Essco Safety Check found out that several of the products tested were in-fact several years old and no longer being manufactured.  These products appeared to look new and be in their original packaging.  All companies that Essco Safety Check spoke to were looking into these issues.

Just because there is something potentially harmful in your environment does not mean that it will harm you, however, if you know what is in your environment you can mitigate harm.

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Essco Safety Check has begun an annual tradition of giving back during the holiday season by providing FREE Holiday Toy Testing for Hopelink of Redmond. 

Essco Safety Check is donating our XRF Testing Services to Hopelink of Redmond by providing toy testing this holiday season.  We will be testing some of the toys they will be giving away (similar to Toys for Tots) for lead, cadmium, arsenic, mercury, antimony and other potentially harmful metals.  We simply wish to help out this holiday season by ensuring that the toys Hopelink of Redmond is giving away to children do not contain any potentially harmful metals.

Hopelink serves the homeless and low income families, children, seniors and people with disabilities. 

Hopelink is a non-profit corporation with 92% of all financial support going directly to help families in crises and preventing homelessness.

If you would like to donate to Hopelink, please visit http://www.hope-link.org/takeaction/volunteer

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In similar testing, Essco Safety Check has also found heavy metals in tile and wallpaper.  On July 13, 2010 Essco Safety Check posted a blog entitled “Warning to homeowners, renovators, and contractors: beware of lead and other heavy metals in tile.”  The State of Washington Department of Commerce Lead Lines Volume 3, Issue 1 October 2010 published (on page 3) Essco Safety Checks findings on tile and our recommendations to contractors and homeowners.

There are currently no federal standards for lead, cadmium or phthalates in home improvement products, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).  Yet there are regulations for lead in children’s products, currently with a total content limit of 300ppm and 90ppm for painted surfaces. 

As long as the tile is not disturbed, or children are directly “licking” the surface of the tile, there should be no direct harm.  However, if the tile is disturbed or children have direct hand-to-mouth or direct mouth contact, there is a potential for harm.

There are new federal regulations regarding lead found in properties older than 1978.  The renovation, repair and painting rule (RRP) went into effect to address lead dust hazards created during renovation of properties older than 1978, this rule only applies to painted surfaces.  Tile, flooring and wallpaper are not considered painted surfaces, but each can potentially possess harmful heavy metals of chemicals.

Healthystuff.org found that more than half of the wallpaper tested contained one or more hazardous chemicals and that 1 in 8 contained cadmium above 100ppm.  Of the vinyl flooring testing, 15% contained one or more hazardous chemicals compared to 8% for non-vinyl flooring.  Healthstuff.org found that linoleum, cork, bamboo and hardwood floorings all tested negative for lead and cadmium.

Lead found in the left tile, cadmium found in the right tile

In similar testing, Essco Safety Check has found tile to contain lead with a total content limit of over 2.4%, testing was done using an X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) Analyzer. 

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I’m not going to comment on the “darkest months” in this blog, but I want to talk about my knowledge of autism and how I think it may be related to jaundice and specifically the function of the liver.

The liver is essentially the body’s filter. According to webmd.com

The liver’s main job is to filter the blood coming from the digestive tract, before passing it to the rest of the body. The liver also detoxifies chemicals and metabolizes drugs.

My knowledge or experience with autism is based on my business, Essco Safety Check, and our ability to enter an environment and help (in this case) parents with autistic children, know what is in their environment. Autistic parents appear to be very concerned about what potential toxicants may be present. Their children have health and behavioral issues; in each and every home with autistic children (that I have been to), the parents also inform me that their children have heavy metals in their blood. Not just one metal, but several, in one home I was shown the child’s blood metals lab report and 12 or 13 different metal were present, including; lead, cadmium, arsenic, mercury, antimony, tin, chromium, copper, and others.

With a device called an X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) analyzer, we provide non-destructive testing of virtually anything in an environment (toys, ceramics, jewelry, housing, soil, etc) for heavy metals; lead, cadmium, arsenic, mercury, antimony, basically from 15-94 on the periodic chart.

Let me try putting the dots together.

I have been to dozens and dozens of homes with autistic children providing testing services and I hear the same story. First let me state that I’m not a doctor, but I feel like a researcher more and more.

1. All the parents of autistic children who have hired us to come to their home tell us that their children are autistic or have a similar condition.
2. All the parents of these autistic children tell us that their children have a variety of heavy metals in their blood.
3. When we provide testing of all the items in the child’s environment that they have a direct, routine relationship with (i.e. toys, ceramics, painted surfaces, vinyl objects, etc) we find the same heavy metals that the parents tell us are in their children’s blood.

My thoughts in developing my theory for three years are based on the fact that in 100% of the homes that I’ve been to with autistic children, we find these same three points, reoccurring in each and every home.

I believe that these children, autistic people in general, have a unique genetic pre-disposition to not be able to properly process metals and chemicals that we are all subjected to on a routine basis. And the constant exposure to these toxicants builds up in the body over time. If lead is present in a child’s blood, the lead can be causing potential health, intellectual and behavioral problems. If the lead is causing these problems, how can you properly treat autism? Wouldn’t you need to remove the harmful heavy metals from the child to properly treat autism?

Isn’t it possible that the lead in the child is actually masking the condition and thus any treatment without the removal of lead from the child’s blood will not work to its full potential?

Jaundice is a liver problem and the liver is the body’s filter, maybe the filter of an autistic person is simply not working properly.

I do not want to suggest that I think that heavy metals are the cause of autism, but as I have said, in each and every home that I’ve been to, to provide XRF testing for heavy metals, we hear the same story.

If constant exposure of heavy metals and chemicals are impacting everyone, the gradual buildup of these heavy metals and chemicals can occur within anyone, but more easily with people who’s “filter” is not working properly. This buildup of heavy metals can, in my opinion, potentially mask conditions of autism, making treatment harder, longer and less effective unless you remove the toxicants from the environment.

If you can remove potential toxicants from the environment of an autistic person, wouldn’t treatment be more effective?

Know what is in your environment and mitigate harm!

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As a business owner of an environmental testing and software company, Essco Safety Check, who has been helping parents and businesses “know what is in their environment” since 2007, I have a unique perspective on this situation.  We have performed testing services for moms and dads who are very curious and care about what is in their child’s environment.  We have helped businesses that manufacture and sell their products, know what their products are made with.  We understand the retailer and what concerns them, their customer and the bottom line.  We have helped small business owners trying to sell quality handmade products, or the mom and pop crafter making baby products, trying to supplement their income.  We’ve been involved with children’s advisory safety councils with Washington State, as well as, discussions with the CPSC, EPA and FDA about a variety of environmental issues. 

With all of this insight I wanted to propose a common sense approach to the CPSIA; the definition of children’s products and how to solve this issue, reducing testing expenses, insuring safety, save businesses billions of dollars (also see), while creating jobs and improving lives.

Why do we have so many different regulations for so call “consumer products”?  Why does a child’s product have a different regulation and testing requirements than medical products, ceramics, and personal care items?  Do you know that medical devices, which are not considered consumer products, don’t have to be tested lead?  This includes toothbrushes, dental floss, bulb syringes and surgical tubing.  Do you know that ceramics in the kitchen can contain lead and cadmium and that they are regulated differently than toys? 

Currently, the definition of a “children’s product” as defined by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is, a consumer product designed or intended primarily for children 12 years of age or younger.

Are these children's products?

Is a football a child’s product?  What about model trains?  What about Halloween costumes?  What about tooth brushes?  What about bounce homes?  What about ceramics that children eat off of? Do you see where I’m going with this?  There would be a lot of specifics to make this definition accurate.  Is a science kit, which is intended for learning, a child’s product?  If so, then the paperclip in this product needs to be tested for lead, but if a teacher walks into an office supply store and buys paperclips in a box, those don’t need to be tested.   If a lamp has childish embellishments on it, it needs to be tested for lead, but that same lamp without the embellishments doesn’t need to be tested.

Please read and article by Jennifer Kerr of the Associated Press and an article by Andrew Martin of the New York Times

Children have access to most, if not all, products in the home that are not considered children’s products, other consumer products and non-consumer products.  Wouldn’t it be easier, more prudent, and to the benefit of everyone’s health if we just said, “we don’t want lead, cadmium, arsenic, mercury and other potentially harmful heavy metals and chemicals in products other than…”?  Is it possible that the constant exposure of these heavy metals is contributing to our decline in academics (math, science and English scores) or to disorders such as autism and ADHD? 

Don’t get me wrong, there are some beneficial usages for lead, cadmium, and other heavy metals, but not in toys or other children’s products, or ceramics a child drinks out of or eats off of.   What about a pregnant woman, do we want them to have access and exposure to harmful heavy metals?   I think that all people should want to limit their toxic exposure from these potentially harmful elements we find in our homes or at work.   Why do we find lead in toys, ceramics and jewelry?   We even find lead in protein drinks!  Is it because corporations are trying to save a penny here and a penny there?  Does it make sense that we permit these potentially harmful heavy metals in the consumer products and medical devices used daily by ordinary people, including children and pregnant women?

If we start to think like this, we do not need to define what a children’s product is, and only define what materials or which certain items do not need to be tested for these heavy metals.   If we test products in our environment that we interact with, our children and even our pets interact with, we can reduce potential toxic exposure.  This doesn’t just mean toys!  It should include our schools, daycare centers, what’s in our kitchens, what’s at the hospital and the like.  Wouldn’t you want to live in a home with the least number of potentially harmful items, especially homes with children and pregnant women?

Do you know that the CPSIA requires that all children’s products must be tested by a third party independent accredited laboratory?  These laboratories use a destructive, expensive testing method, typically ICP-MS or AAS to look for lead and other heavy metals.  Typical costs can range from $50 to $300+ per test.  Unfortunately, not all manufactures have to abide by this rule, Mattel applied and was granted the ability to do their own testing in-house (in my opinion, this creates a huge market advantage to them and harms the small business owner).  Other large manufactures/importers have also asked the CPSC to be exempt from having to use a third party independent accredited laboratory and therefore they could control their testing expenses more while be self monitored. 

As far as testing to ensure that products “children’s products” and all other consumer products and non consumer products we interact with don’t have lead we should utilize low cost, accurate, portable technologies to reduce the overall testing expenses. This would create a reasonable testing program for consumer and non-consumer products.

If we started to test all products that citizens use in the home or at work for lead, cadmium, arsenic, mercury and other heavy metals with X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) Analyzers, a non-destructive, scientifically accurate, low-cost testing system, we could effectively reduce the potential for harm while reducing overall testing costs.  The use of XRF analyzers with appropriate data collection and analysis can become a screening platform to test for heavy metals.  This can help businesses be in compliance with CPSIA regulations, while reducing their testing costs, helping get products to market faster, and putting thousands of people to work, creating small businesses to help other businesses.  Did I mention that if we test all products, we’d reduce our overall toxic exposure?

If a manufacturer has their raw materials or products tested with XRF analyzers and no lead is found, why would you need to do further expensive, destructive testing?  However, if lead or other potentially harmful elements are found, then further testing should occur if the manufacturer wants to use that material in the product they are selling.

If we start to think like this, then we realize that we don’t need to define what a child’s product is, but rather products in general and the materials that they are made of.  I would hope that the surgical tubing a child or pregnant woman uses at a hospital has been tested for lead and other harmful metals and chemicals.  I would hope that the toothbrush a pregnant mom uses is tested as strictly as her child’s toothbrush.  I would hope that coffee cup a child uses for their hot chocolate is tested for heavy metals and that those regulations are as stringent as a children’s product.  I would hope that the soccer field made of field turf is tested for heavy metals and that the levels are below what is for children’s products. 

If we use common sense, reducing the amount of toxic materials in our environment, combined with a low-cost, accurate, screening system, we could reduce testing expenses for businesses, insuring safety, creating jobs and improving lives.

Wouldn’t it be easier to apply one testing standard to the things in our environment, the toys, ceramics, jewelry, housing, paint, pocketbooks, footballs, baby bottles, etc?  Why so many different regulations?  Why do so many companies want to have their products not regulated like a children’s product?  Are they afraid of what may be found in the materials that make up their products?

My version of common sense means that we wouldn’t need to debate what a child’s product actually is, rather, treat all consumer products and like items the same, insuring we don’t have any potentially harmful heavy metals in our homes.  If we decide which materials and what products don’t need to be tested for lead because there is a benefit to the use of lead in that item, we don’t need a definition.  All of this will help to reduce potential toxic exposure to children, pregnant woman and everyone else, don’t forget about the workers making the products, all of this insures safety.  Other benefits include the creation of jobs, businesses helping businesses, the reduction in overall testing costs and improving lives.

What do you think?

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The memorandum of June 18th, 2010 did not change requirements that contractors take appropriate steps to keep families and children safe from the dangers of lead poisoning and associated recordkeeping requirements.  The memorandum only extended the time requirements to register and take the required training courses associated with the Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) Rule.

The EPA has posted training materials at:  www.epa.gov/lead/pubs/training.htm.

Renovation Firms have until October 1st, 2010 to be certified with the EPA.  All firms that are not certified by October 1st, 2010, will be subject to penalties for failing to comply with the renovation firm requirements of the RRP rule.

Individual Renovators have until September 30th, 2010 to enroll in a certified renovator class to train contractors in practices necessary for compliance with the final RRP rules.  Individual Renovators have until December 31st, 2010 to complete the required training courses.

Some basic information about the RRP Rule:
Homeowners, apartment owners, government-assisted or public housing, schools and childcare facilities that are older than 1978 that have a contractor disturb a painted surface do to renovation, repair or painting must have the contractor:
 A.  Assume the property contains lead-based paint and follow lead-safe work practices, or
 B.  You or your contractor may also test for lead using a lead test kit.  These kits must be EPA-approved, or
 C.  Hire a certified professional to check for lead-based paint.  These professionals are certified risk assessors or inspectors and can determine if your home has lead or lead hazards.

Essco Safety Check is professional lead-based firm (in Washington State) ready to help contractors, homeowners, childcare facility operators, schools and business with all their RRP lead inspection needs. 

Essco Safety Check has certified lead professionals who will come to your location and provide non-destructive X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) testing to inspect for lead-based paint.  We will help you save time & money with hassle-free lead inspection services and assist you with all your data storage and EPA testing compliance issues.

Contact Essco Safety Check at http://www.essco-safetycheck.com/services/re.htm for more information or call Seth at 425-749-4136

Additional information on lead-safe work practices can be found at www.epa.gov/lead or obtained from the National Lead Information Center at 1-800-424-LEAD (5323)

Additional information on EPA RRP compliance can be found here: http://epa.gov/lead/pubs/sbcomplianceguide.pdf

Lead-Safe Certified Guide “Renovate Right” can be found here: http://www.epa.gov/lead/pubs/renovaterightbrochure.pdf

Know what is in your environment and mitigate harm!

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Three years ago I started a business, Environmental Services & Solutions Corporation (otherwise known as Essco Safety Check) to provide X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) testing services to moms and dads, to help them know what was in their environment.  XRF analyzers use X-Rays to non-destructively detect heavy metals in virtually anything.  Our handheld XRF analyzers, from Olympus Innov-X, are essentially a hand-held mass spectrometer capable of detecting elements from 15 to 94 on the periodic chart. 

Since 2007, when Essco Safety Check started, we have added testing services that help businesses, industries and government, as well as, developing a sophisticated software platform to collect and analyze environmental data in a cloud-based system.  We have been specifically involved with consumer product testing helping businesses affected by the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) and contractors, painters, remodelers, home inspector and homeowners affected by the Renovation, Repair & Painting (RRP) Rule, among many other types of XRF testing.

Essco Safety Check has been involved with several national recalls for lead and cadmium and has had many discussions with the CPSC, FDA, EPA, state and local agencies about different environmental issues.  Our testing has found lead and cadmium in toys, ceramics, jewelry, painted surfaces, metal objects, cookware, medical products and more.  We have provided testimony at state hearings, have worked with advocacy groups, provided community testing events and have been on hundreds of job sites.  With all of this experience using XRF analyzers, you would have thought I would have learned never to be surprised what you may find.   Yet, you may be wrong…I may not always be surprised what I find, I may be disgusted.

Recently, Essco Safety Check was contacted to help provide XRF testing of facial creams from Southeast Asia to look for mercury.  My initial concern with this project was that we would not find mercury because levels of mercury would be below our detection capabilities.  The XRF analyzers that we use have detection limitations in the parts per million (PPM) and I suspected that the levels of mercury in the facial creams would be in the parts per billion (PPB).  I was informed that the levels of mercury in some of the suspected facial creams with mercury were greater than one percent. 

1 % = 10,000 (PPM)

After several discussions with the parties involved, samples of six different facial creams (skin whitening creams) were sent to Essco Safety Check’s office.  Testing proceeded and you know what?

I was disgusted. 

In three of the samples that were tested, levels of mercury were detectible, greater than 600 PPM.  Two of the samples were found to contain more than 8,000 PPM and one sample was found to contain over 15,000 PPM or 1.5% mercury.  This is a product that is applied to the face and it has high levels of mercury.

Mercury is banned in skin-bleaching or lightening products, such a product would have words listed on the packaging as “lightening” or “whitening”, if these words are not listed, it is considered a cosmetic.   Eye area cosmetics are permitted to have concentrations of mercury not exceeding 65 PPM if it is used as a preservative, and only if no other preservative is available for use.  All other cosmetics are only permitted trace amounts of mercury, less than 1 PPM.

Essco Safety Check was initially contacted to help determine if certain facial creams had levels of mercury, because people who were using these creams appear to be suffering from mercury poisoning.  Some symptoms of mercury poisoning are; metallic taste, vomiting, difficulty breathing, bad cough, swollen or bleeding gums and if enough mercury is ingested in your blood stream, kidney and brain damage may occur.  Often with modest exposure, there is no oblivious effect.  However, in one extreme recent case in Cambodia a young lady died apparently from a hypersensitive response to mercury in a skin whitener, identified as Bao Dam from Vietnam [1].  The creams Essco Safety Check evaluated were apparently from Vietnam, Thailand and China but they may have been bootlegged and produced anywhere.  Mercury is readily absorbed through the skin in a topical application and mercury can accumulate in the body.

In May of this year, the Chicago Tribune did an investigation of 50 skin-lightening creams by purchasing these facial creams in Chicago stores.  Five of the creams were found to contain amounts mercury greater than 6,000 PPM.   They are:

The FDA did respond to this investigation.

This is just another example of why you would want to know what is in your environment.  XRF testing helps people and businesses know what is in their environment.   We have the potential to help governments with limited regulations learn about product safety and help create regulations that will protect citizens, workers and the environment, while saving time and money.  XRF testing can create jobs and improve people’s lives.

Know what is in your environment and mitigate harm.

[1] http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/34119/skin-cream-linked-to-bride-death

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We have expanded services to include certified home and property lead inspections, risk assessments, HUD inspections and Renovation, Repair & Painting (RRP) Inspections.

We have provided services to toy wholesalers, retailers and manufacturers.  We have done testing for county health departments, state and federal agencies.  We have helped real estate professionals sell homes, and assisted remodelers, home inspectors and other housing professionals.  We work with families of autistic children and can help anyone or any business know what is in their environment.

Recently, I was out performing an in-home inspection and found lead in wall paper.  This was a new experience for me and after further testing, I was able to identify that the back side of the wall paper was made of Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC).  The lead and other heavy metals found when testing the wall paper was most likely from the PVC and the back side of the wallpaper not the painted surface.

Contractors, remodelers and homeowners should be aware that there is a potential for lead to exist in wallpaper.  Older homes that contain wallpaper with a PVC or film backing should be aware that lead and other heavy metals may be present.  Creating dusts from this substrate could be potentially harmful. 

In addition, contractors should be aware that tile may contain harmful levels of certain heavy metals including lead.  If you are doing remodeling, renovation or painting that disturbs a painted surface or tile, use caution and be aware that the dust you create could be potentially harmful to you, your workers and the people or children in the home.

Other interesting finds and subjects of upcoming or past blogs include lead and other heavy metals found in:

Bounce Homes
Protein Drinks
Field Turf
Bumbo Seats
Facial Creams and other personal care items

Know what is in your environment!

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FACT:  Are you aware that Essco Safety Check is certified to provide lead-based paint inspections.  Certified lead professionals will come to your location (in Washington State) and using X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) Analyzers will inspect for lead-based paint.

FACT:  The services Essco Safety Check provide contractors and homeowners, will save you time & money when complying with the new RRP ruling and lead-based paint inspections.  Consider the fact that documents must be retained for three years following the completion of a renovation; we will store all your testing data for free.

FACT:  Currently, EPA approved LeadCheck Kits can determine that regulated lead-based paint is not present on all surfaces except plaster and drywall. 

QUESTION:  What is a contractor suppose to do to determine if lead-based paint is present?

FACT:  Homeowners, apartment owners, government-assisted or public housing, schools and childcare facilities that are older than 1978 that have a contractor disturb a painted surface do to renovation, repair or painting must have the contractor:
 A.  Assume the property contains lead-based paint and follow lead-safe work practices, or
 B.  You or your contractor may also test for lead using a lead test kit.  These kits must be EPA-approved (please refer to above FACT about LeadCheck Kits), or
 C.  Hire a certified professional to check for lead-based paint.  These professionals are certified risk assessors or inspectors and can determine if your home has lead or lead hazards.

FACT:  If you are going to have your property inspected for lead-based paint or lead hazards, Essco Safety Check can:
 
• Save you time & money with hassle-free lead inspection services
• Provide non-destructive XRF testing by a certified lead inspector or risk assessor
• Assist with your data storage and EPA testing compliance issues

QUESTION:  How do I contact Essco Safety Check about my RRP lead testing needs?

FACT:  Visit http://www.essco-safetycheck.com/services/re.htm for more information or call Seth at 425-749-4136.

FACT:  Essco Safety Check is offering a 20% discount off current prices for companies who call and book an RRP inspection by November 1st, 2010.   Good for first inspection for new customers only.

Environmental Services & Solutions Corporation
d.b.a. Essco Safety Check
15906 NE 83rd Street
Redmond, WA 98052
www.essco-safetycheck.com

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This report found that four childhood environmental disorders (lead poisoning, asthma, pediatric cancer and neurodevelopmental disorders) cost Michigan on average $5.85 billion per year.  That is just the cost for these disorders, neurodevelopmental disorders include; cognitive impairment, autism and cerebral palsy. 

These costs include both direct and indirect costs; direct costs include things such as prescriptions and hospitalizations, indirect costs include such things as parental wages lost due to their children’s missed school days and loss of lifetime earnings.  The methodology used to develop these estimates was originally published by Landrigan et al. (2002).

The overall annual cost estimate for Michigan is $5.8 billion, with a range of $3.65 to $6.68 billion.

These cost estimates represent approximately 1.5% of Michigan’s Gross domestic Product every year.

If people and businesses can learn what is in their environment, they can mitigate harm.  If you can reduce the amount of exposure you have to a particular environmental toxicant, not only can you improve your quality of life, it could be potentially economically advantageous.  

Safety V. Money

I can only speak about lead poisoning and autism, as those areas I have been greatly involved in.  Essco Safety Check has been providing non-destructive environmental testing for potential harmful toxicants such as lead, cadmium, arsenic, mercury and other heavy metals by utilizing X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) Analyzers and software to collect and analyze the environment around us.  Autistic families contact us because they claim their children have a variety of heavy metals in their blood and we can quickly identify a variety of heavy metals non-destructively, quickly, efficiently and accurately.  We specialize in helping people and businesses know what is in their environment.

A study that I wrote earlier this year, The potential economic impact of the CPSIA, was submitted US House of Representative, House Energy Commerce Sub-Committee for Consumer Protection by the Handmade Toy Alliance as “Allowing XRF testing for CPSIA compliance could save $3.7 billion and save small businesses”  This study looked at new federal regulation, the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) and how businesses are affected by the regulations and how XRF technology can help them reduce costs in testing, getting products to market faster and creating jobs.

If we can now combine these two visions of protecting children and saving small businesses, we are not only doing the ethical thing, were are going to be creating jobs, improving lives, while protecting children, creating jobs and saving people, businesses and government billions of dollars.

Essco Safety Check is proud to be a leader in XRF testing services and environmental software solutions as well as, equally proud to help protect children, homeowners, businesses and government.

Know what is in your environment and mitigate harm.

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