Science Department Gives Local Parents A Valuable Gift

Following a year of massive toy and jewelry recalls due to high lead content, many parents were rightfully wary of the gifts they were purchasing for their children this holiday season. With so many different contaminated items found, how could parents really be sure their children were playing with safe, lead-free toys?

"Literally, there is no way a private citizen could get these items checked," said John Iverson, professor of biology and director of the Joseph Moore Museum at Earlham College. "The EPA does check shipments as best they can, but often the volume is too much."

Thanks to both College and external grant funding, Earlham recently purchased a portable X-ray fluorescence spectrometer to quickly measure heavy metal content in a variety of objects. Early in December, Earlham College's chemistry department used the machine to give many parents in the Richmond area peace of mind by offering free lead tests on children's toys and jewelry.

The machine has been a valuable addition for science curriculum, with students in Associate Professor of Chemistry Mike Deibel's classes using it for Ford-Knight metal testing projects just last semester.

"During the fall, we used the spectrometer in a variety of projects," said Mike. "Our students tested toys, jewelry and many other consumer products.

"Another set of students did testing throughout the Joseph Moore Museum, and an additional student used the spectrometer to check soil samples."

The machine also analyzed the heavy metal contamination in sediment cores taken from Springwood Lake, as part of a 3-year grant funded by the W. M. Keck Foundation.

Those testing projects were the inspiration for this community endeavor.

"Our students come here wanting to do service learning, and we definitely encourage that," Mike said. "But we had to ask ourselves, 'how do we do this in the sciences?' The solution was to use the spectrometer for outreach.

"It made sense, especially with lead contamination in the news. We were able to combine two Earlham community outreach sources — the Joseph Moore Museum and this analysis — by holding it here in the museum. Six students participated that day, working in shifts."

The toy testing on December 5 confirmed a lack of contamination in a majority of the objects tested — to the relief of the owners — and did help identify some potential problems in one toy.

"We tested some small jewelry, toy automobiles, other toys," John said. "A lady brought an older, antique doll — a monkey — and there was something in the face that was contaminated, so that shouldn't be a toy, just an antique."

The professors and students hope to offer the service to the community again in early February at the Joseph Moore Museum.