Rapid, Quantitative, Trace Element Measurement of Toxins in Consumer Products

描述(由申请人提供)：本项目的目标是证明一种无损、紧凑、可靠、易于操作的X射线荧光(XRF)分析仪的可行性，用于测量电子产品和其他相关消费品在制造时的有毒元素。制造或配送中心的干预将在很大程度上消除消费者在家中、学校、工作场所或最终进入垃圾填埋场的产品中的风险。这种电子制造分析仪将适用于工厂车间，采用新的、功能强大的专有单色双弯曲晶体(DCC)X射线光学元件、光源配置和相关软件，大大提高了这种元素分析的效率和灵敏度。这些毒素自然存在于环境中，但也包括在制造过程中，用于抗紫外线、耐用性和强度等目的。众所周知，体内这些有毒元素的异常水平与许多健康疾病有关，如癌症、认知障碍以及呼吸系统、心脏病和其他神经症状。尽管这些有毒金属具有公认的重要性，但直到最近，这些有毒金属的监管水平才超过当前的实用测量技术(即2002年的危险物质限制指令和2008年的消费品安全改进法案)。目前的现场便携式仪器不能满足制造商或管理机构的量化需求。这导致了向基于实验室的测量的重大转变，这些测量是准确的，但也是复杂、耗时和昂贵的。这种方法需要样品的运送、处理、延误和训练有素的操作员。获得此类测量认证的实验室在数量和区域分布上也是有限的。因此，这两种解决方案都不符合目的。本项目中提出的有毒元素分析仪的基础是提高电子和玩具中使用的X射线光学和软件能力，同时使其易于使用，任何操作员只需接受最少的培训。新系统将允许前所未有的X射线荧光灵敏度，用于同时测量大多数受监管的元素毒素，包括传统上难以测量的元素，如镉、锑和钡。拟议的新分析仪通过提供适合工厂车间使用的廉价、可靠的元素毒素分析仪，极大地改变了公共卫生状况。通过从源头进行干预，该工具将减少或消除我们的消费品在不知情的情况下直接暴露于环境中的风险，以及因将这些物品处置在垃圾填埋场而间接暴露在环境中的风险。这将降低医疗成本，同时提高监管合规能力。 与公共健康相关：拟议的电子和制造分析仪有可能大幅减少甚至消除许多有毒元素的接触，方法是在毒素到达家庭、学校或工作场所之前，从源头进行干预，使用一种定量、易于使用、基本上不依赖于矩阵的无损仪器来识别工厂或配送中心的问题。对公共健康的积极影响包括减少有毒元素暴露，从而减少对公共健康的影响，减少补救费用，并减少保健费用。这种仪器的适用性很广，包括对电子产品、其他相关消费品和儿童产品中受监管的有毒元素(即2002年的危险物质限制指令或2008年的消费品安全改进法案)进行测试。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The objective of this project is to demonstrate the feasibility of a nondestructive, compact, reliable, easy-to-operate X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analyzer for measurement of toxic elements in electronics and other related consumer products at their point of manufacture. The intervention at the manufacturing or distribution center will substantially eliminate the exposure to the consumer at home, school, work, or from the product that ends up in a landfill. This electronics manufacturing analyzer will be fit for purpose on the factory floor, enabled by new, powerful, proprietary, monochromatic doubly curved crystal (DCC) X-ray optics, source configurations, and associated software that greatly increases the efficiency and sensitivity for this elemental analysis. These toxins occur naturally in the environment, but also are included in manufacturing processes for purposes such as UV resistance, durability, and strength. Abnormal levels of these toxic elements in the body are known to be associated with many health disorders such as cancer, cognitive impairment, as well as respiratory, cardiological, and other neurological symptoms. In spite of their recognized importance, only recently have these toxic metals been regulated at levels exceeding current practical measurement techniques (i.e. Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive of 2002, and Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008). Current field-portable instrumentation does not meet the quantitative needs of manufacturers or regulatory agencies. This has caused a significant shift to laboratory-based measurements which are accurate, but they are also complex, time-consuming, and expensive. That approach requires sample transportation, handling, delays, and highly trained operators. The laboratories certified for such measurements are also limited in number and regional in distribution. As a result, neither solution is fit for purpose. The toxic element analyzer proposed in this project is based on advancing the X-ray optics and software capability for use in electronics and toys, while simultaneously making it simple-to-use for any operator with minimal training. The new system will allow unprecedented X-ray fluorescence of sensitivity for simultaneously measuring most regulated elemental toxins, including traditionally difficult to measure elements such as cadmium, antimony, and barium. The proposed new analyzer changes the public-health situation dramatically by offering an inexpensive, reliable elemental toxin analyzer that is fit for purpose on the factory floor. By intervening at the source, this instrument will reduce or eliminate the risk of unknowing direct exposure from our consumer products as well as indirect exposure in the environment from disposal of these items in a landfill. This will reduce health-care costs, and simultaneously improve regulatory compliance capabilities. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The proposed electronics and manufacturing analyzer has the potential to substantially mitigate or even eliminate many toxic element exposures by intervening at the source with a quantitative, simple-to-use, substantially matrix independent, and nondestructive instrument to identify problems at the factory or distribution center before the toxins reach the home, school, or work place. The positive impacts to public health include decreased toxic element exposure, which leads to reduced public-health effects, reduced remediation costs, and reduced health-care costs. The applicability for such an instrument is vast and includes testing for the regulated toxic elements (i.e. Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive of 2002, or Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008) in electronics, other related consumer products, and products intended for children.