LEAD TESTING CLARIFIED

Abstract

THE CONSUMER PRODUCT Safety Commission (CPSC) has made a final determination on what children’s products will have to be tested for lead under the new product safety law passed last year. Many items were determined to be naturally lead-free and therefore exempt from testing. But others, particularly items made from metals and plastics, will have to meet the law’s stricter standards. In her first appearance before Congress since her confirmation, new CPSC Chairwoman Inez Moore Tenenbaum was asked, among other things, to clarify some points on lead testing in children’s products under the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA). In her testimony before the House Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade & Consumer Protection on Sept. 10, Tenenbaum said her top priority since becoming chairwoman is to meet the CPSIA deadlines. CPSIA was passed in 2008 in response to concerns over the presence of toxic materials, primarily lead and phthalates, in products sold to children (C&EN, Feb. ...