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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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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Their investigation found lead; in one bounce home that was more than 70 times greater than the legal limit of lead in a child’s product.  They found a lead from a range of 5000 parts per million (PPM) to 29,000 PPM.  The legal limit for lead in children’s products is 90 PPM for painted surfaces and 300 PPM for all other parts of the product.

With all the testing that Essco Safety Check has done, we have tested bounce homes in the past and our findings are very similar to that of CEHs.  The issue with bounce homes is the material that the home is made of.  It is typically made of Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) and PVC is a substrate that we have found to contain lead more than other typical substrates that children play with.  When PVC is manufactured, a stabilizer is added in production to prevent Hydrochloric Acid (HCl) from forming, unfortunately the manufacturers tend to use lead as a stabilizer.  This stabilizer does not bind well to the PVC molecule and can readily leach from the PVC material.

In some laboratory testing that Essco Safety Check has performed with several accredited laboratories in the Seattle, WA area, we have found that heat can play a factor in to the ability for lead to leach from PVC.  The hotter the temperature that the PVC is exposed to the more likelihood that leaching can occur.  The best thing for children to do after playing in a bounce home is to wash their hands and face, and avoid direct hands to mouth contact while playing in a bounce home.  This is more critical for children under the age of 6, as they are more susceptible to the exposure of lead.

Lead is a neurotoxin that can cause many problems including; learning disabilities, anemia, hypertension, infertility and death among other problems.  Children are more sensitive to lead exposure because of their size (mass) and greater absorption of lead.  It is best to avoid lead exposure as there is no level of lead that is considered safe.

Know what is in your environment and mitigate harm.

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Jubilee Farm - Autism Day of Washington 2010

The 10th Annual Autism Day of Washington was held on Saturday, August 7th, 2010 at the Jubilee Farm in Carnation Washington. Autism Day is an event designed for families touched by autism a chance to relax in a beautiful setting surrounded by people and businesses who understand. A variety of individuals and companies, service providers and organizations wishing to reach out to the autistic community participated in the event.

Essco Safety Check participated for the third year in a row by providing FREE X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) testing to look for heavy metals (lead, cadmium, arsenic, mercury and others) in consumer products. As one mom explained to her autistic child, “they are looking for toxic toys.” We provided a display of products found in the typical home that have been tested and identified with lead, cadmium, arsenic and mercury as well as information and publications from the EPA, HUD and Washington State Department of Health.

The rain could not stop hundreds of people from attending the event, going for hayrides, playing on the slip and slide or visiting all the vendor’s booths. Families brought toys, ceramics, jewelry and other consumer products by Essco Safety Check’s booth for XRF testing. Of all items that were tested, ceramics (coffee cups, plates and bowls) were found with the most amounts of lead and cadmium.

Hayrides and Spongebob during Autism Day of Washington 2010

By using technologies such as XRF Analyzers, we can help people and businesses gain knowledge about their environment. If you know what is in your environment, you can mitigate potential harm. Essco Safety Check has been providing in-home environmental testing services for almost three years. Autistic families appear to be more concerned about what is in their environment and have been contacting Essco Safety Check to know what is in their environment since January 2008.

As a service provider to families affected by autism, Essco Safety Check has found there to be a constant in each and every in-home inspection for an autistic family. You should know that these are just observations from our perspective of testing. Essco Safety Check inspectors are not doctors, but are certified lead inspectors and risk assessor.

Essco Safety Check's Booth at Autism Day of Washington 2010

In each and every case of providing testing services to autistic families, the parents of the autistic children tell us that their children have heavy metals in their blood. When they inform us what heavy metals are found in their child’s blood, when we provide XRF testing of the consumer products and objects and items these autistic children come in contact with, we find the same heavy metals in the products as is found in their blood.

I’m not suggesting that heavy metals are the cause of autism; however, I believe that a person with autism has a predisposition to not be able to process the heavy metals and chemicals we all come in contact with. Considering that we are all subjected to a variety of heavy metals in our daily life, until you remove the heavy metals that are affecting the autistic person, how can you effectively treat autism?

Essco Safety Check has developed a methodology of collecting and analyzing the personal environment using XRF Analyzers, photography and an environmental software platform. By understanding what is in your environment you can make educated decisions as to what you, your children, you customers or employees are exposed to.

Know what is in your environment and mitigate harm.

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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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On April 22, 2010 the EPAs Renovation Repair and Painting (RRP) Rule went into effect to address lead dust hazards created during renovation of properties older than 1978, this rule only applies to painted surfaces.  Tile is not considered a painted surface, but tile can possess lead and other harmful heavy metals.  If tile is disturbed during renovation, dust can be created that can be potentially harmful. 

Renovators and contractors should be advised to use lead safe work practices if they disturb tile, unless they know what the tile is made of. 

Recently I purchased tile from Home Depot and decided to use an X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) Analyzer to look for heavy metals in the tile, I own and operate an environmental testing and software business, Essco Safety Check and am a certified HUD Lead Inspector and Risk Assessor.  Using an XRF analyzer I found lead and cadmium in brand new tiles sold today (June 2010).  One of the tiles showed lead over 3mg/cm2, the regulation limit for lead in paint within the RRP Rule is 1mg/cm2, the other showed cadmium over 600 parts per million, there is no regulation for cadmium in the RRP rule.

Tile found with lead and cadmium

In both cases (in the lead and cadmium tile) I suspect that the heavy metals are in the glaze or the coloring of the tile and not the ceramic.  According to the HUD Guidelines, Chapter 7, Lead-Based Paint is defined as;

Any paint, varnish, shellac, or other coating that contains lead equal to or in excess of 1.0mg/cm2 as measured by an x-ray fluorescence analyzer or laboratory analysis or 0.5 percent by weight by laboratory analysis.

Tile is not considered a painted surface and therefore does not meet the qualifications of lead-based paint, even though it is glazed or painted.

In May 2010 I was contacted by a colleague who is a certified lead inspector, EPA approved renovator and general contractor for 25 years.  While performing an inspection for RRP compliance, he used his XRF analyzer on some floor tile that he was going to replace.  The test results from the XRF analyzer showed lead over 5mg/cm2, he called me to ask what to do? 

My first question was would he disturb the tile during his renovation project, and if so, would dust be created?  He said yes.  I suggested that he use lead safe work practices, but he wanted to know the specifics of the law, so I contacted another colleague from the EPAs Region 10 to ask for help finding the specific regulation with the RRP rule and tile.  She searched on the EPAs website under the RRP FAQs and typed in “tile”, but not one response was found in the frequently asked questions page by the EPA.  What is a contractor suppose to do when they disturb tile?

The approved testing method for the average contractor who is not a lead inspector or risk assessor and who does not have access to an XRF analyzer or inspector with such an instrument is to use approved testing “swab” kits.  These kits will not penetrate tile like a drywall painted wall.  In a sample case with tile I purchased from Home Depot, I used an XRF analyzer on the tile and found lead over the 1.0mg/cm2 but when I tested it with the approved lead “swab” testing kits, no lead was found.  How is this protecting the homeowners, renovators or contractors working on their own renovation projects?  What if there are children that live at this work site?

As I have mentioned, the RRP Rule only applies to homes built before 1978, but I was able to find brand new tiles that have lead and cadmium.  To my knowledge and having several discussions with Washington State Officials and EPA personal, there is currently no regulation regarding heavy metals in tile.  Since tile purchased today can contain heavy metals like lead, it may be found in homes newer than 1978.

Homeowners, renovators and contractors need to be aware that tile purchased today, or tile found in homes (of any age) may contain harmful heavy metals.  If you disturb tile and create dust, you could be creating a potential hazard.  You should make sure you contain and clean up all dust created from disturbing tile.  This is only a cautionary warning; there is no regulatory authority behind this.  I wish only to share knowledge that I have obtained by operating my environmental testing and software business, Essco Safety Check.

Additionally, business owners and workers who disturb tile for installation in properties (i.e. bathroom and shower installation companies) should be aware of this and take precautions when doing preparation work and properly contain and cleanup any dust created.  Don’t forget to consider all OSHA regulations, if any lead is found on the property; during a renovation, remodeling or painting of any property.

I would advise using lead-safe work practices if you disturb tile and create any dust.  Or have your local certified lead inspector or risk assessor use their XRF analyzer to check if the tile you are about to disturb has any harmful heavy metals. 

Contact Bob Angeline Lead-Based Paint Assistant Manager at the Washington State Department of Commerce, at 360-725-2929 for questions about the RRP rule in Washington State or contact Seth Goldberg, Essco Safety Check at 425-749-4136 or info@essco-safetycheck.com if you have any questions or comments about this article.

Know what is in your environment and mitigate harm.

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Three out of the fifteen drinks tested were found to contain levels of heavy metals above the USP limits for lead, cadmium or arsenic.  These drinks are commonly used by athletes, baby boomers, pregnant women and teenagers.  The proposed limits set by the USP for lead are 10 micrograms per day; the proposed limit for cadmium is 5 micrograms per day; the proposed limit for arsenic is 15 micrograms per day.

One drink was found to contain 16.9 micrograms of arsenic and 5.1 micrograms of cadmium.  Another drink was found to contain all three metals with 13.5 micrograms of lead, 5.6 micrograms of cadmium and 12.2 micrograms of arsenic.  And a third drink was found to contain 12.2 micrograms of lead and 11.2 micrograms of arsenic.  All findings are based on three servings per day and all samples were either purchased in the New York metro area or online.

It appears that the federal government is not protecting the consumer and better regulation or oversight of “consumer products” such as protein shakes, toothbrushes, or baby spoons should be common sense and is needed.  But lack of regulations has cause states to write their own, more strict regulations.  According to this study by Consumer Reports, eight of the fifteen drinks would be required by Proposition 65 (California Law) to have manufacturers notify consumers because of lead content.

This investigation was prompted by Dr. Kathy Burns, a Boston-area Toxicologist and founder of Sciencecorps and Judy Braiman of Empire State Consumer Project.   

To view the report from Consumer Reports, please visit.  To view the press release from Consumer Reports, please visit.

This is just another “consumer product” that is not a consumer product and Essco Safety Check is working to help people and businesses know what is in their environment and mitigate potential harm.

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12 Million "Shrek" glasses recalled by McDonald's

Cadmium was found in the paint of glasses sold at McDonald’s.  12 Million Drinking glasses that feature characters from the movie “Shrek Forever After” are being voluntarily recalled by McDonald’s in collaboration with the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

The 16-ounce glasses were sold at McDonald’s restaurants for $2, beginning on May 21st, 2010.  The four designs include Puss n’ Boots, Shrek, Princess Fiona and Donkey and were manufactured by ARC International, based in Millville, N.J.

No injuries have been reported and, “The glasses have far less cadmium than the children’s metal jewelry that CPSC has previously recalled,” said a spokesperson for the CPSC.

Customers cag get instructions to return the glassware and request a refund by visiting www.mcdonalds.com/glasses beginning June 8th or call 1-800-244-6227.

This marks the fifth recall for cadmium issued by the CPSC this year.  Prior to this year, no recall has ever been issued for cadmium.  Essco Safety Check is continuing to work with CPSC and FDA on issues involving heavy metals in consumer products.

Do you “know what is in your environment?”

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Do you know what a consumer product is?

Unfortunately, toothbrushes and other patented early intervention dental products which are designed or intended for children 12 years of age or younger are in fact, not “consumer products.”  Because these products are not “consumer products,” they do not fall within the definition of children’s products that require third-party testing. Thus the lead limits in the CPSIA do not apply to this product. 

This product is regulated by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) and currently there are no specifications for levels of heavy metals in dental devices.

There are many products consumers would consider a “consumer product” which are in fact not “consumer products” and not regulated as a consumer product.  Many products fall into exemptions including; toothbrushes, toothpicks, dental floss, flatware (knives, forks, spoons, baby spoons, serving utensils, etc.), ceramics (plates, cups, bowls, etc), cutting boards, bulb syringes, surgical tubing and more. 

Each of these products can be directly used by children and pregnant women, yet none have to be tested for the regulation standards of a children’s product, which means they can contain more than 300ppm of lead legally.

Essco Safety Check is an environmental technology and software integration company; utilizing X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) Analyzers (among other data collection devices) and a proprietary software platform to collect and analyze environmental data.  Essco Safety Check is now coordinating with both the CPSC & FDA on this issue.

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