Details and additional links below the video:
For those new to this website:
Tamara Rubin is a multiple-federal-award-winning independent advocate for childhood Lead poisoning prevention and consumer goods safety, and a documentary filmmaker. She is also a mother of Lead-poisoned children (two of her sons were acutely Lead-poisoned in 2005). Since 2009, Tamara has been using XRF technology (a scientific method used by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission) to test consumer goods for toxicants (specifically heavy metals — including Lead, Cadmium, Mercury, Antimony, and Arsenic). All test results reported on this website are science-based, accurate, and replicable. Items are tested multiple times to confirm the test results for each component tested. Tamara’s work was featured in Consumer Reports Magazine in February of 2023 (March 2023 print edition).
Testing a section of ducting (inside the wall of a home) for Lead
This video is the third in a series of three videos tonight showing test results using LeadCheck® swabs on Zinc substrates (substrates previously tested using XRF technology, so with known/quantified elemental composition, including the absence or presence of Lead). The other two videos published tonight include testing a Zinc Beyblade component and testing a Zinc planter from Ikea. See all the videos directly on YouTube with the following links in red, below (but please also check out all of the additional links with more information below)!
Video #1 Video #2 Video #3
Before you buy LeadCheck® swabs, please learn more about them!
Below is the Lead Safe Mama affiliate link for LeadCheck® swabs, in case you are interested in trying them yourselves at home — but please do start by reading about them on this site (so you don’t waste money testing things that really cannot be tested with a chemical reagent swab). First and foremost, it is important to know that the LeadCheck® swab was designed for testing Lead in PAINT, and any other application may not be appropriate – as that is not what it was formulated for. It is always accurate when used as designed/intended, and it has a low threshold of detection of 600 ppm Lead. Aflink: https://amzn.to/3teKrad
10 links with additional information:
#1.) For starters, here’s the link about things that might be useful to test with a LeadCheck® swab: https://tamararubin.com/2017/11/where/
#2.) Here’s an article about testing dishes: https://tamararubin.com/2017/02/ask-tamara-q-can-i-test-my-dishes-for-lead-with-a-leadcheck-swab-a-sometimes-but-not-always-click-to-read-more/
#3.) Here’s a piece about testing toys: https://tamararubin.com/2019/04/asktamara-are-the-3m-swabs-sufficient-to-test-the-surfaces-of-toys-is-it-better-than-nothing/
#4.) Here’s an article with the types of things that are better tested with an XRF instrument: https://tamararubin.com/2017/11/goods/
#5.) Here’s a piece discussing various testing methodologies: https://tamararubin.com/2016/12/ask-tamara-what-do-you-use-to-test-for-lead/
#6.) And if you are curious, here is an article about testing for Lead in blood: https://tamararubin.com/2019/02/blood-lead-testing-please-get-everyone-in-the-family-tested-since-you-have-been-living-in-a-house-with-high-lead-paint/
All of the above articles can be found in the header menu (on every page of the Lead Safe Mama website, under “Lead Testing”)
#7.) And, here is a piece about hair and urine tests for heavy metals: https://tamararubin.com/2020/05/i-heard-that-urine-and-hair-tests-for-heavy-metals-including-lead-were-not-real-or-useful-test-results-why-is-this/
#8) This is an article about what to expect when you have a Lead inspector come to your home for testing: https://tamararubin.com/2016/02/tomorrow/
#9) This piece is the new menu guide for beginning to explore the more than 2,700 articles and pages on the Lead Safe Mama website: https://tamararubin.com/instagram/
#10) Here is a link to a short video that is a good watch for a better understanding of how to use this website (which has hundreds of Lead-free products and Lead-safe choices listed, too)! https://youtu.be/vDqTi5KSQt0
Thank you!
Susie says
Is this a concern for all homes even newer with ductwork? We have a home built in 2012 and nor sure if I should be concerned 🙁 Are there even alternatives?
Dots says
The video is set as private. Is there another way to watch this video?
Otto says
The video doesn’t work, says ”this video is private”.
Tamara says
hmm – not sure what happened there. I will see if I can fix it. Thanks for the heads up!
T