Patent ID: 6248593
Filing Date: 2001-06-19
Classification: G01N

Abstract:
A method for the detection of lead on a surface suspected of lead contamination, said method comprising:(a) wiping the surface with a handwipe whereby residue containing lead contamination, if present on the surface, is retained and collected on the handwipe;(b) solubilizing any lead collected on the handwipe with an acidic aqueous solution having a pH of about 1 to about 5, wherein the acidic solution is not present on the handwipe during step (a) and, wherein the lead is solubilized on the handwipe;(c) treating the solubilized lead with an anion selected from the group consisting of rhodizonate or sulfide; and(d) observing the color formed in step (c);wherein, if lead is present on the surface, the color formed is pink to red if the anion is rhodizonate or the color is brown to black if the anion is sulfide.