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Some Lead Testing Kits in Question
Published On: Aug 24 2011 02:05:20 PM EDT Updated On: Oct 23 2007 01:00:08 PM EDTSince the summer, more than a million toys were pulled from store shelves because of high levels of lead. Now, do-it-yourself lead testing kits are under some scrutiny. WFMZ's Melissa Batulis reports. The Consumer Products Safety Commission says they expect even more toy recalls before Christmas. At the same time, they're saying that at-home lead testing kits may not be the answer to keeping your family safe. In the wake of the toy recalls, some local stores say they've seen more sales of surface lead testing kits. The C-P-S-C put some of the most common tests to the test. More than half failed to detect lead when it was present. Consumer Reports also looked at five popular kits. They called three kits useful but limited because they only detected lead on the surface of the item and not that embedded inside. The other two kits, First Alert and Pro-Lab, turned up several false negative results. TAM: Certainly there's been a lot of questions brought up by parents. REPORTER: At the Childrens Clinic of Wyomissing, doctors say they already screen children considered high-risk for lead exposure. TAM: Basically it's just a small sample of blood that is taken and they check the blood for a lead level. REPORTER: Doctor Tam says parents should also be aware of the symptoms of toxic lead exposure. TAM: You want to look out for agitation, nausea, lethargy, abdominal symptoms, abdominal pain. REPORTER: But more subtle symptoms like learning disabilities or attention problems can be a sign of lesser lead exposure over time. And while consumer groups are urging people to use more than one method for testing your home, doctors are standing by their screening process as a way to provide some peace of mind. TAM: If a parent is worried, it's a very easy thing to screen for. With the holidays approaching, there are still a lot of unanswered questions about how to make sure what you're buying is lead free. I spoke with someone from the C-P-S-C and they say they are still working on that recommendation and will be announcing that advice early next month.
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