In response to growing concerns about toxic levels of lead in paint and metal on children’s toys, Oxford Instruments has developed a hand held electronic lead detector, a veritable rock boulder on the tracks of the Chinese Poison Train.
The X-MET3000TXR+ is a X-ray fluorescence scanner. By examining how much the x-ray excites the particles, it can identify an object’s chemical structure. No word on price, but a tool like this can give more accurate readings than rub-on home-based test kits, and significantly faster determinations than waiting for lab test results. UPDATE: A reader says these will cost you about $30,000.00. Excellent, now the rich can make sure the silver spoons they’re birthing their children with in their mouths are unleaded.
X-MET3000TXR+ for RoHS compliance screening and QC of different components and materials [Oxford Instruments via The Raw Feed]
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You do realize that trains shatter rocks and flatten pennies placed on tracks, right?
Oh, the irony if it was Made in China.
Oh great, we’re giving devices that shoot X-rays to the public. And you thought lead paint was bad for your health…
Fortunately, I think these things are well beyond the budget of the home germaphobe.
How long til we find out it was made in China with lead paint?
@Buran: Perhaps they should have said the word boulder to be clearer?
They have been around for 20 plus years. Industry uses them to check the percent lead content.
These have been around for a while. I used one that detects a whole slew of metals. New purchase price was arounf 30k if I remember.
Is the Consumerist suggesting that concerned parents purchase this device to test toys? It’s probably less expensive to make all your kids’ toys from scratch; this seems like a rather sophisticated gadget.
And dammit, X-MET3000TXR+, our nation’s children NEED a little hexavalent chromium and cadmium. Otherwise, how will they learn to stay away from it?
That thing looks like a phaser gun from the old Star Trek shows.
Now if they start mass-producing these things, will the construction be outsourced to a company in China?
I get it–that’s a Type 2 Phaser. The Type 1 Phaser shoots x-rays at a lesser distance and intensity; the phaser rifle is much more powerful but rarely used. {Prof. Jonathan}
I would say that stores and mfg companies buy and use them, not parents.
“Excellent, now the rich can make sure the silver spoons they’re birthing their children with in their mouths are unleaded.”
What’s with the anti-wealth sentiment? Aren’t we trying to save money so that we may become rich?
Dammit, Jim! I’m a doctor not a consumer advocate!
I take it James “Scottie Lives!” Doohan could have really used one of these before he was blasted off into space to fight L. Ron Hubbard’s space aliens.
———–
“The best diplomat that I know is a fully-loaded phaser bank.” — Lt. Cdr. Montgomery Scott
What makes you think that poor Americans who only care to buy dirt-cheap products from China will actually bother, or have enough money and sense, to buy this?
Useless.
Awesome! Now we don’t need Superman to tell us when some bad man (or woman, I’m an equal opportunity fanboy) has sheathed their remote-but-obvious HQ in lead.
We use a similar device where I work; an electronics contractor. It’s used to measure levels of lead and other elements to ensure ROHS compliance. Reduction of Hazardous Substances or something like that. It’s for the reduction of bad crap in electronics.
Oh man I can’t wait to give the kids a couple of those this Xmas! I’ll tell them it’s a phaser.
These probably wouldn’t be the best items to purchase for home use, as many of these XRF devices contain capsules of radioactive material.
Just go buy a lead test kit in the paint section of your local hardware store, they can vary in price between $5-$20 if your really that paranoid. This test gun isn’t worth it unless your testing thousands of products for lead. Which Toys R Us should probably start doing.