Lead check swabs

With enough scare about lead content in toys, jewelry, glazed pottery and etc, I wanted very much to give this lead check test kit a try, specifically on my ceramic wares.

After an effortless online search, I got to know that an agent here has the stock. Hence I gave him (the agent) a call, ordered one pack and he hand-delivered.

There are 10 swabs in a pack. They are easy to use since all it takes is to rub the swab tip on the surface-in-question for 30 seconds. If the swap tip turns pink, the test is positive – lead is present. The only difficulty I found was crushing the 2 designated points on the swab barrel, which houses 2 vials each containing a chemical. The crushing is required to activate a testing fluid. Each swab has enough fluid for 2 to 3 tests.

The pack also comes with a ‘Test Confirmation Card’ which consists of 4 dots containing lead. On my first attempt, my stoneware plate showed a negative response and since I wasn’t sure if I had done it correctly, I tested the same swab on that card to confirm…the dot did turn pink.

Thus far, 2 of my unused dishes are positive, one of which was bought (and I don’t know the country of origin) from a local department store while I bought the other from the middle east.