https://cen.acs.org/environment/Spraydetector-makes-lead-light-green/101/web/2023/12
my brother just showed me some new test reagent he bought for lead testing, and i have to say i'm pretty impressed. i'm sharing it because i think you guys might find it useful for teaware and other stuff around your house.
first reference i'm seeing is a 2018 paper, but i think using it for lead detection was first published only a year ago.
basically, you take a dropper bottle of the reagent (methylammonium bromide in isopropanol – possibly with a bit of acid), put a drop on what you're testing, wait a little bit, and shine a UV light on it. if there's lead, it fluoresces green.
it seems to be quite sensitive, selective, and relatively nontoxic. the fact that the reagent is colorless and becomes UV-reactive opens up a lot of possibilities. it makes it easy to test all kinds of substrates, even if they're colorful. you can apparently even test dirt with it. i guess a main limitation is with substrates that are already fluorescent.
even though UV-A (blacklight) isn't that bad for you, these UV LED lights can be kinda bright. i always wear basic protective eyewear (most any clear, impact-resistant PPE sold at any hardware store) since it usually blocks UV. pretty easy to test: shine the light through the lens at something that's fluorescent. if it doesn't glow with the lens in the way, then it's blocking it.https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.3c06058 wrote:Isopropanol of 99.9% purity is used to avoid the excess presence of water, which can disturb the reaction. Note that methylammonium bromide is corrosive, isopropyl alcohol is flammable, and UV light is harmful to one’s eyes. Therefore, for practical application of this testing method we recommend the following precautions: (1) wear safety glasses; (2) use in well-ventilated spaces; (3) keep reagent away from sparks, open flames, and other ignition sources, (4) test on less visible areas and wash afterward with water, and (5) do not look in the UV light. We find that the reagent can be applied by simply dripping, spraying, rubbing, or brushing the reagent on, but for most applications, and area mapping using a spray dispenser to coat the specimen is most practical.
reagent kits are already being sold online. i'm seeing detectlead.com and lumetallix.com
i was playing around with product from the former.
