Efficacy of a lead based paint XRF analyzer and a commercially available colorimetric lead test kit as qualitative field tools for determining presence of lead in religious powders

摘要

The performances of a portable X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) lead paint analyzer (RMD LPA-1, Protec Instrument Corp., Waltham, MA) and a commercially available colorimetric lead test kit (First Alert Lead Test Kit, eAccess Solutions, Inc., Palatine, IL) were evaluated for use by local or state health departments as potential cost-effective rapid analysis or spot test field techniques for tentative identification of lead content in sindoor powders. For both field-sampling methods, sensitivity, specificity and predictive values varied widely for samples containing 300,000 mu g/g lead. For samples containing = 300,000 mu g/g lead, the aforementioned metrics were 100% (however, the CIs had a wide range). In addition, both field sampling methods showed clear, consistent positive readings only for samples containing = 300,000 mu g/g lead. Even samples with lead content as high as 5,110 mu g/g were not positively identified by either field analysis technique. The results of this study suggest the XRF analyzer and colorimetric lead test kit cannot be used as a rapid field test for sindoor by health department inspectors.