[dazzled]

Hi all-
I am not a chemistry major, or anyone who knows a lot about the goings on in a chem. lab. But I am a bird owner, and that is why I am here. There recently been discussions about lead in the powder coating of bird cages. Because birds are very sensitive to lead and there is a possibility of lead OD, owners are becoming concerned and sending out for testing.

I am wondering if you can clarify a few things for me? What is the best way to test for lead in the powdercoating of a cage? My friend is a chemical engineer and tested her powder coating of the cage using Inductively coupled plasma atomic absorption spectroscopy (ICP-AAS) after concentrated nitric acid digestion, in combination with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy on the solid sample

and found a safe ppm of lead, which was to be expected because of the steel makeup of the cage.

Now, others are saying that "Your [her] results are not valid as you are testing a part of the cage and not just the paint and the part is taken into consideration as a factor in the parts per million.

Valid tests will test the paint and the paint only. Follow this link for information on the proper way to run the test, what to collect as a sample, what to ask for in the sample.

http://www.happybirdy.com/lead_in_paint_1.htm"

I fully trust my friend, but am hoping to get the input of others as to this matter, as all chaos has been breaking out in the bird world.

TYIA for any input and information. It is greatly appreciated!

[Borek]

The idea that only scrapped paint should be used for testing sounds OK to me - and if the sample taken by your friend contained something more than paint her results are probably off.

(all kinds of possible disclaimers here)

[dazzled]

She used the powdercoating of the cage for testing, as well as the latch of the cage. The powdercoating of her cages yielded the above results. (safe ppm)

[Borek]

If she used coating only, why do others write

you are testing a part of the cage and not just the paint

?

[DrCMS]

Do caged birds eat a lot of the paint on the cage?

[dazzled]

If she used coating only, why do others write

you are testing a part of the cage and not just the paint

?

They mis-read the post. She did powdercoating scrapings as well as the latch of the cage. They were focusing on the latch of the cage rather then just the powdercoated scrapings.

In general cage birds do not sit and gnaw at their cage bars all day, but bigger birds like macaws can easily chip off powdercoating when maneuvering around the cage [they hook a beak on the bar and use the bars to swing around], so that is where the concern comes from.