ROCHESTER, N.Y., June 1 The quick, inexpensive home lead-testing kits used to detect lead-laced dust are prone to high error rates, found a U.S. study.First author Katrina Korfmacher, an expert on lead poisoning at the University of Rochester Medical Center, found that 64 percent of the locations that LeadCheck Swabs indicated were safe actually had hazardous concentrations of lead in dust, according to federal standards.Korfmacher tested the LeadCheck Swabs in typical field conditions in Rochester houses, using the manufacturer's instructions, and warns that people should be aware of the tool's lack of sensitivity and how it might impact the health of children, according to the study published in the June edition of the journal Environmental Research."We are very interested in promoting low-cost ways to detect lead at the low levels we now know to be dangerous to children," Korfmacher said in a statement. "Our concern is that parents or property owners might use these tests and be falsely assured." Some county health departments recommend the kits to mothers bringing home infants from the hospital, and they are also popular among community groups, landlords and other consumers seeking an inexpensive way to to test for lead dust, according to Korfmacher.Copyright 2007 by UPI
