Metals & Materials
Tti Labs tests metal accessories for nickel release and total lead.
Three categories, one metals division.
U.S. CPSC Accepted · CPSC Lab ID 1168
Tti Labs tests metal accessories for nickel release and total lead. ICP-OES, ICP-MS and AAS measure 22 elements under ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation.
Metal accessories: nickel release and total lead in metal parts. Alloys: lead rulings on stainless steel and precious metals. Materials: metals measured in textiles, leather, plastics, toys, chemicals, food and water.
Division 17 at a glance
PNAC LAB 022 Rev. 09 · CPSC Lab ID 1168
22
Elements named in one accredited scope
4
Instruments: ICP-OES, ICP-MS, AAS, IC / CIC
10
Metals and alloys in the CPSC lead determination
100 ppm
CPSIA lead limit for children’s products
3
Categories: metal accessories, alloys, materials
Which test, which part
Each accredited method answers one question about a part or a material.
Nickel release
Nickel is limited by release, not content.
EU REACH · Annex XVII, entry 27
Pierced parts: release must be less than 0.2 µg/cm²/week.
Prolonged skin contact: release must not be greater than 0.5 µg/cm²/week.
Coated articles: a non-nickel coating must keep release at or below 0.5 for at least two years of normal use.
A common reason REACH files fail: nickel reported as total content when entry 27 asks for release.
Method: BS EN 1811:2023, PNAC LAB 022, product row Textile Accessories.
Lead in children's products
100 ppm lead, in every part a child can reach.
The CPSIA defines a children’s product as a consumer product designed or intended primarily for children 12 years of age or younger. The limit is total lead content by weight, for any part of the product.
The lead limit, stepped down
10 Feb 2009: 600 ppm
14 Aug 2009: 300 ppm
14 Aug 2011: 100 ppm, in force today
14 Aug 2009: 90 ppm lead in paint and similar surface coatings
“Paint, coatings or electroplating may not be considered a barrier that would make the lead content of a product inaccessible to a child.” 16 CFR 1500.91(a)
Can a child reach it?
The lead limits apply to the parts a child can reach. CPSIA s. 101(b)(2) exempts parts that are not accessible to a child.
Probe the part.
Under 16 CFR 1500.87(d), the accessibility probes of the sharp point and sharp edge tests (16 CFR 1500.48 and 1500.49) decide whether a lead-containing part is accessible.
Then use and abuse it.
16 CFR 1500.87(e)–(h) also judge accessibility after foreseeable use. They apply the use-and-abuse tests of 16 CFR 1500.50 with 1500.51, 1500.52 or 1500.53, by age group.
Alloys & the CPSC
A CPSC determination covers ten metals and alloys.
These do not exceed the CPSIA lead limits, provided that no lead or lead-containing metal is intentionally added.
Gold, at least 10 karat
Sterling silver, at least 925/1000
Platinum
Palladium
Rhodium
Osmium
Iridium
Ruthenium
Titanium
Stainless steel, UNS S13800–S66286, not including 303Pb (UNS S30360)
Not covered by the determination
The non-steel or non-precious metal components of a product, such as solder or base metals in electroplate, clad or fill applications. For these parts, Tti Labs’ accredited method is CPSC-CH-E1001-08.3.
Metal in materials
Accredited methods also measure metals inside the materials a metal part meets: textiles, leather, plastics, toys, chemicals, food and water.
Textiles: total and extractable metals
Leather: extractable and total metals; chromium (VI), chromic oxide, organotins
Plastics & plastisol prints: cadmium extractability
Toys: migration of certain elements (EN 71-3 lists 19 elements)
Chemicals & water (ZDHC): total heavy metals
Food & feed: elemental content and minerals
Chromium (VI) & organotins
LAB 022 names chromium (VI) apart from total chromium: in leather, chemicals, waste water and sludge.
EU REACH · Annex XVII, entry 47
Leather articles that touch the skin must contain less than 3 mg/kg chromium (VI), on the total dry weight of the leather. The limit also applies to each leather part of an article.
Organotin compounds
Organic tin compounds, not total tin. ISO 16179:2025 for leather, waste water and chemicals (ZDHC); ISO 17353:2004 for water.
Start from the part, find the test
Test finder
EU REACH
Part or material
Question
Accredited method
Pierced-ear posts, piercings
Nickel release, less than 0.2 µg/cm²/week
BS EN 1811:2023
Rivets, buttons, zips, watch cases
Nickel release, 0.5 µg/cm²/week at most
BS EN 1811:2023
Leather touching the skin
Chromium (VI), less than 3 mg/kg
ISO 17075-1:2017 · ISO 17075-2
U.S. CPSIA · children’s products
Part or material
Question
Accredited method
Metal parts, children’s jewelry
Total lead, 100 ppm
CPSC-CH-E1001-08.3
Non-metal parts
Total lead, 100 ppm
CPSC-CH-E1002-08.3
Paint and surface coatings
Lead in paint, 90 ppm
CPSC-CH-E1003-09.1
Points, edges, small parts
Can a child reach it?
16 CFR 1500.48 · 1500.49 · 1501
Materials and matrices
Part or material
Question
Accredited method
Textiles
Total and extractable metals
DIN/BS/EN 16711-1:2016 · 16711-2:2016
Leather
Extractable and total metals
ISO 17072-1:2019 · ISO 17072-2:2022
Plastics, plastisol prints
Cadmium
BS EN 1122:2001
Toys
Migration of certain elements
EN 71-3:2019+A2:2024
Chemicals (ZDHC)
Total heavy metals, 14 elements
Tti/INORG/SOP-008a
Water
Heavy metals, 16 elements
APHA 3030, 3111, 3120 · EPA 6010C
Waste water, sludge
Total heavy metals
EPA 3050 B · USEPA 200.8 · EPA 6020 A
Food, feed
Elemental content, 10 elements
AOAC 999.10, 975.03, 985.01, 984.27
Chromium (VI) and organotins
Part or material
Question
Accredited method
Chemicals, waste water, sludge
Chromium (VI)
Tti/INORG/SOP-23 · ISO 18724:2025 · EPA 3060a, 7196A
Leather, chemicals, water
Organotin compounds
ISO 16179:2025 · ISO 17353:2004
Limits and methods as set out in the Metals & Materials brochure. Summary, not legal advice.
Lead and physical tests
Accredited lead methods · Textile Accessories
Test
Method
Total lead, children’s metal products (including jewelry)
CPSC-CH-E1001-08.3 · acid digestion · ICP-OES / AAS
Total lead, children’s non-metal products
CPSC-CH-E1002-08.3 · acid digestion · ICP-OES / FAAS
Lead in paint & painted / surface coatings
CPSC-CH-E1003-09.1 · 16 CFR 1303 · ICP / FAAS
Physical tests on the accredited scope
Test
Method
Sharp point
16 CFR 1500.48
Sharp edge
16 CFR 1500.49
Torque test
16 CFR 1500.50, 51, 53 · ASTM F 963-2023
Tension test
16 CFR 1500.50, 51, 53 · ASTM F 963-2023
Small parts cylinder
16 CFR 1501
CPSIA, Public Law 110-314; eCFR 16 CFR 1303, 1500.87 and 1500.91; PNAC LAB 022 Rev. 09 (3 Aug 2026), p. 7. Summary, not legal advice.
Four instruments measure them
Instruments
Instrument
Use
ICP-OES · installed 2018–19
Multi-element, simultaneous detection. Heavy metals in textiles, leather, food, pharma, water and soil.
ICP-MS · new 2025
Ultra-trace heavy metal detection, with ppb and ppt sensitivity.
AAS · atomic absorption
Cost-effective trace element measurement. Heavy metals in textiles, leather, water and food.
IC / CIC · ion chromatography
Chromium (VI) to EN ISO 17075-2, free of interference.
Leather chromium methods
Test
Method
Chromium (VI), colorimetric
ISO 17075-1:2017
Chromium (VI), chromatographic
ISO 17075-2
Chromic oxide content
ISO 5398-1 & 3:2018
Organotins
ISO 16179:2025
Elements as named in PNAC LAB 022 Rev. 09 (3 Aug 2026), pp. 6, 10, 13–16, 19. Instruments, years and uses: Tti Labs Magazine v2.
Certified, accredited & approved
ISO/IEC 17025 accredited testing laboratory, PNAC LAB 022
ISO/IEC 17020 accredited inspection body, PNAC IB-006 (Tti Inspections Pvt Ltd)
U.S. CPSC Accepted Conformity Assessment Body, Lab ID 1168
PSQCA Approved · OGRA Approved · EPA Certified
1168
U.S. CPSC Lab ID
544
Accredited methods
3-day
Turnaround
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Division 17 · Metals / Materials
Metals & materials testing