Photos: Sniffing out poisons in products
XRF testing can detect any of the elements highlighted in color on this chart. California officials check consumer products just for lead, cadmium, mercury, and hexavalent chromium, which are linked to brain damage, cancer, and reproductive problems.
The California Toxics in Packaging Prevention Act went into effect in 2006, requiring the state to try to weed out products on the market that contain notable amounts of those metals. Eighteen other states have passed similar laws since the 1990s.
XRF technology is also used by customs officials in the European Union, which bans the sale of electronics containing the same four heavy metals. Europe's Reduction of Hazardous Substances rules, known as ROHS, went into effect in 2006 and have spurred consumer electronics manufacturers to retool their products. The rules have caused lead solder to disappear from circuit boards in most electronics sold globally. Lead-free solder usually uses some combination of tin, copper, bismuth, and silver.
Greenpeace uses XRF testing for its
