The only handheld X-ray fluorescence analyzer that does not require a radioactive isotope for residential lead paint detection has been developed by SciAps Inc. The device has been accepted for use in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) “Guidelines for the Evaluation and Control of Lead-Based Paint Hazards in Housing,” 2012 Edition. Without the need for a radioactive isotope, the tool greatly reduces the regulatory burden of owning and controlling radioactive materials and eliminates costly isotope replacement.Source: SciAps

The SciAps X-550 Pb handheld analyzer utilizes X-ray spectroscopy with an X-ray tube and silicon drift detector instead of radioactive isotopes to measure lead in paint for compliance with government regulations. The HUD Performance Characteristic Sheet (PCS), based on tests of 146 real-world samples collected from around the country, demonstrates that the analyzer has “no inconclusive range,” a first for an X-ray tube-based lead paint analyzer.

The data set demonstrates the instrument’s ability to accurately identify samples as positive or negative according to the federal action level for residential lead paint, which is 1.0 mg of lead/cm². SciAps X-550 Pb also has accepted PCS at action limits of 0.7 mg/cm² and 0.5 mg/cm². It is one of only two instruments to achieve this standard, and the only non-isotope instrument ever to hold a PCS at all three levels. According to the PCS, SciAps X-550 Pb delivered no false positives, no false negatives and no inconclusive tests, even at the 0.5 mg/cm² level.