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Lead Testing Wipes Contain Measurable Background Levels of Lead

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Abstract

Lead is registered under the California Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986 (Proposition 65) as both a carcinogen and a reproductive hazard. As part of the process to determine if consumer products satisfy Proposition 65 with respect to lead, various wipe sampling strategies have been utilized. Four commonly used wipe materials (cotton gauze, cotton balls, ashless filter paper, and Ghost™ Wipes) were tested for background lead levels. Ghost™ Wipe material was found to have 0.43 ± 0.11 μg lead/sample (0.14 μg/wipe). Wipe testing for lead using Ghost™ Wipes may therefore result in measurable concentrations of lead, regardless of whether or not the consumer product actually contains leachable lead.

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Acknowledgments

A portion of the underlying research for this project was funded by a consumer product manufacturer.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. ChemRisk, LLC, 25 Jessie St. Suite 1800, San Francisco, CA, 94105, USA

    James. J. Keenan, Matthew H. Le, Dennis J. Paustenbach & Shannon H. Gaffney

Authors
  1. James. J. Keenan
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  2. Matthew H. Le
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  3. Dennis J. Paustenbach
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  4. Shannon H. Gaffney
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Correspondence to James. J. Keenan.

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Keenan, J.J., Le, M.H., Paustenbach, D.J. et al. Lead Testing Wipes Contain Measurable Background Levels of Lead. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 84, 269–273 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-009-9926-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-009-9926-y

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