Home Lead Tests Found Unreliable

Consumers should not use lead test kits to evaluate consumer products for potential lead hazards, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced Monday, after a CPSC evaluation of a number of commonly-available lead test kits showed that the kits frequently failed to detect lead when it was there, or indicated that lead was present when it was not. CPSC advises consumers that "testing by a qualified laboratory and trained personnel is the only way to accurately assess the potential risk posed by a consumer product that may contain lead." Excess levels of lead in paint used on children's toys has prompted a number of recent recalls, and dangerous levels of lead can be found in the home.

• CPSC Press Release on Home Lead Test Kits
• Lead Paint in Toys - Recalls (FindLaw)
• Where Lead Can Be Found (FindLaw)
• More Information on Lead Poisoning (FindLaw)