How to Test for the Presence of Cadmium Plating

Cadmium plating was once common in many household and construction items. However. today many consumers are concerned about the possible toxicity of cadmium. The easiest way to test for cadmium plating is to use an X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analyzer. This requires a handheld analyzer, which can be rented, leased or purchased. XRF also has the added benefit of being able to test for the presence of lead and precious metals. A properly calibrated XRF analyzer can test for a range of elements in samples of various sizes.

Things You'll Need

• XRF analyzer

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Instructions

• 1

  Purchase, rent or lease an XRF analyzer from a trustworthy source.

• 2

  Read all of the documentation. Refer to the included grade-identification library to know how cadmium plating will be recognized by the instrument.

• 3

  Test the analyzer by using it on products you know to contain cadmium plating.

• 4

  Refer to the calibration instructions and calibrate the analyzer to test for cadmium in samples of the size you will be working with.

• 5

  Test your products for cadmium plating.