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►TOYS ►CHILDREN'S PRODUCTS ►CHEMICAL ►ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC ►HARDLINES ►SOFTLINES ►REGULATIONS OF DIFFERENT COUNTRIES	Total Lead Content – ASTM F963-07 / 16 CFR 1303* Limit Total Lead Content (of surface coating) 600 mg/kg Remarks: 1. mg/kg = milligrams per kilogram (ppm = parts per million) 2. 16 CFR 1303 = Title 16, CFR 1303 Chapter II – Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) of United States 8 Soluble Heavy Metals – ASTM F963-07* The migration of toxic elements from surface coating of toys should not exceed the following limits: - Antimony (Sb): 60 ppm - Arsenic (As): 25 ppm - Barium (Ba): 1000 ppm - Cadmium (Cd): 75 ppm - Chromium (Cr): 60 ppm - Lead (Pb): 90 ppm - Mercury (Hg): 60 ppm - Selenium (Se): 500 ppm Remark: mg/kg = milligrams per kilogram (ppm = parts per million) Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) On January 29, 2008, US EPA issued a final rule under Section 8(d) of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) adding lead and lead compounds to the TSCA health and safety data reporting requirements. This rule required certain manufacturers (i.e., under the rule, manufacturers of consumer products intended for use by children who also manufacture lead or lead compounds) to submit to EPA by April 28, 2008, any unpublished health and safety studies that relate to the lead content of consumer products that are intended for use by children or that assess children's exposure to lead from such products, excluding children's metal jewelry. The import of children's products that contain lead or lead compounds constitutes the manufacture of lead or lead compounds under TSCA, and EPA believes importers of such products are the entities most likely to have the type of health and safety studies EPA is seeking. EPA will review the submitted health and safety data and will consult with the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), where appropriate, to address any concerns identified by the data with respect to lead-containing products. Already, CPSC is working to address recently discovered risks from children's metal jewelry containing lead. EPA's rule is directed at children's products other than metal toy jewelry, for which less lead exposure information is available. Lead Paint Lead paint is paint containing lead, a heavy metal, that is used as pigment, with lead(II) chromate (Pb Cr O₄, "chrome yellow") and lead(II) carbonate(Pb C O₃, "white lead") being the most common. Lead is also added to paint to speed drying, increase durability, retain a fresh appearance, and resist moisture which causes corrosion. Paint with significant lead content is still used in industry and by the military. For example, leaded paint is sometimes used to paint roadways and parking lot lines. Lead Poisoning Lead affects the peripheral and central nervous system. The most common sign of peripheral neuropathy due to chronic lead poisoning is painless wristdrop (weakness of the extensor muscles of hand) which usually develops after many weeks of exposure. Lead is especially damaging to children under age six whose bodies are still developing. Lead causes nervous system damage, hearing loss, stunted growth, and delayed development. It can cause kidney damage and affects every organ system of the body. It also is dangerous to adults, and can cause reproductive problems for both men and women. A direct link between early lead exposure and extreme learning disability has been confirmed by multiple researchers and child advocacy groups. One myth related to lead-based paint is that the most common cause of poisoning was eating leaded paint chips. In fact, the most common pathway of childhood lead exposure is through ingestion of lead dust through normal hand-to-mouth contact during which children swallow lead dust dislodged from deteriorated paint or leaded dust generated during remodeling or painting. Lead dust from remodeling or deteriorated paint lands on the floor near where children play and can ingest it. Applications of Lead · Lead is a major constituent of the lead-acid battery used extensively in car batteries. · Lead is used as a coloring element in ceramic glazes, notably in the colors red and yellow. · Lead is used to form glazing bars for stained glass or other multi-lit windows. The practice has become less common, not for danger but for stylistic reasons. · Lead is used as projectiles for firearms and fishing sinkers because of its density, low cost compared to alternative products and ease of use due to relatively low melting point.^[20] · Lead or "sheet-lead" is used as a sound deadening layer in such areas as wall, floor and ceiling design in sound studios where levels of airborne and mechanically produced sound are targeted for reduction or virtual elimination. · Lead is used in some candles to treat the wick to ensure a longer, more even burn. Because of the dangers, European and North American manufacturers use more expensive alternatives such as zinc. · Lead is used as shielding from radiation. · Molten lead is used as a coolant, eg. for lead cooled fast reactors. · Lead glass is composed of 12-28% lead oxide. It changes the optical characteristics of the glass and reduces the transmission of radiation. · Lead is the traditional base metal of organ pipes, mixed with varying amounts of tin to control the tone of the pipe. · Lead is used as electrodes in the process of electrolysis. · Lead is used in solder for electronics, although this usage is being phased out by some countries to reduce the amount of environmentally unfriendly waste. · Lead is used in high voltage power cables as sheathing material to prevent water diffusion into insulation. · Lead is used for the ballast keel of sailboats. Its high weight-to-volume ratio allows it to counterbalance the heeling effect of wind on the sails while at the same time occupying a small volume and thus offering the least underwater resistance. · Lead is added to brass to reduce machine tool wear. · Lead sheets are used as roofing material. · Lead is frequently used in scuba diving weight belts to counteract the diver's natural buoyancy and that of his equipment. · Lead is often used to balance the wheels of a car; this use is being phased out in favor of other materials for environmental reasons. · Lead is still widely used in statues and sculptures. Former Applications of Lead · Lead was used as a pigment in lead paint for white as well as yellow and red colors. It was discontinued because of the dangers of lead poisoning. However, lead chromate is still in use. · Lead was the hot metal used in hot metal typesetting. · Lead was used for plumbing in Ancient Rome · Lead was used as a preservative for food and drink in Ancient Rome. · Lead was used for joining cast iron water pipes and used as a material for small diameter water pipes until the early 1970s. · Tetraethyl lead was used in leaded fuels to reduce engine knocking; however, this is no longer common practice in the Western world due to health concerns.^[22] · Lead was used to make bullets for slings. · Lead was used as a component of toys. Due to toy safety regulations, this use has been stopped in the United States. · Lead was used in car body filler, which was used in many custom cars in the 1940s-60s. Hence the term Leadsled. · Lead is a superconductor at 7.2 K and IBM tried to make a Josephson Effect Computer out of lead-alloy. Contrary to popular belief, pencil "leads" have never been made from lead. The term comes from the Roman stylus, called the penicillus, which was made of lead. When the pencil originated as a wrapped graphite writing tool, the particular type of graphite being used was named plumbago (lit. "act for lead"; "leadmocku"). © 2005, 2010 Professional Testing & Consulting Ltd. All rights reserved.