What Is Heavy Metals?
Heavy metal analysis is the determination of the concentration of elements such as lead, cadmium, mercury, arsenic, chromium and nickel in the sample. Measurement is done by ICP-OES or ICP-MS; The decisive factor is the sample preparation step and this step varies depending on the matrix. IN TEXTILES artificial sweat extractable (EN 16711-2) or total (EN 16711-1) metal is measured. IN SKIN ISO 17072 makes the same distinction. IN TOYS EN 71-3 yields metal that migrates from mouthable materials under stomach acid-like conditions. In FOOD, the total element content is determined, and in ENVIRONMENT samples, the concentration in water, soil and waste is determined.
Purpose of Heavy Metals
The aim is to determine whether the risk posed by the heavy metals contained in the product through skin contact, ingestion or release into the environment remains within the limits of the legislation.
Which Products Is Heavy Metals Applied To?
- Dyed and printed textiles, baby and children's clothing
- Leather shoes, bags and clothing
- Toys and child care items
- Food products and food contact materials
- cosmetic products
- Wastewater, drinking water, soil and waste samples
In Which Sectors Is Heavy Metals Used?
Standards Related to Heavy Metals
- TS EN 16711-1 (textile — total metal content, microwave decomposition)
- TS EN 16711-2 (tekstil — yapay asidik terle ekstrakte edilebilir metaller)
- TS EN 16711-3 (textile — lead and cadmium restriction)
- TS EN ISO 17072-1 / -2 (skin — extractable and total metal)
- TS EN 71-3 (toy — migration of certain elements)
- TS EN 1811 (nickel release in metal accessories)
- TS EN 13804 / 13805 (food — element determination and pressure solubilization)
- TS EN ISO 17294-2 (water — element determination by ICP-MS)
- TS EN 13657 / ISO 11466 (soil and waste — solubilization)
- EN 71-1Mechanical and physical properties in toys test
- EN 71-2oyuncaklarda yanabilirlik test
- EN 71-3migration of certain elements in toys test
Heavy Metals Conditions
- Textiles and leather
- Extraction with acidic sweat solution or acid solubilization in microwave
- Toy
- Migration test in dilute hydrochloric acid medium defined in EN 71-3
- food and environment
- Pressurized microwave solubilization; direct measurement in water samples
- Measurement
- ICP-OES or ICP-MS; cold steam technique if necessary for mercury
- Unit
- mg/kg veya µg/L
Equipment for Heavy Metals
- ICP-OES / ICP-MS
- Microwave digestion system
- Cold vapor/hydride system (for mercury and arsenic)
- Water bath and shaker
- Analytical balance and mill
Sample Requirements for Heavy Metals
- Separate sample for each colour, component and matrix
- Metal accessories should be evaluated separately
- Each material category in the toy is a separate sample
- To avoid metal contamination, the sample should not be cut with metal tools.
- Water samples should be sent in a suitable container and protected with acid if necessary.
Duration of Heavy Metals
Sample preparation (extraction or solubilization) and ICP measurement determine the time; Results are usually available within a few business days. As the number of elements and matrix complexity increases, the time increases.
Heavy Metals Procedure
- 1The sample is separated by matrix and component, ground or cut, and weighed.
- 2In extractable/migration analysis, it is extracted with the solution defined in the standard.
- 3In total analysis, it is solubilized with acid in the microwave.
- 4The solution is filtered and diluted.
- 5Internal standard is added and ICP and elemental concentrations are measured.
- 6The result is calculated in the unit appropriate to the matrix.
Heavy Metals Acceptance Criteria
Acceptance criteria vary depending on the matrix and target market: in textiles and leather, REACH Annex The limit to be applied is determined according to the scope of the product and is confirmed from the current text.
Evaluation of Results
Total, extractable and migration results are not interchangeable: in a product with a high total content, the extractable amount may remain below the limit. Which one the specification requires and which limit it is compared to is clearly stated in the report.
Heavy Metals Report
- Sample description, matrix and analyzed components
- Applied standard and sample preparation method
- Result and limit of quantification for each element
- Knowledge of measurement technique and internal standards
- Compared limit value and its source
Accreditation
EUROLAB holds internationally recognised accreditation obtained from accreditation bodies party to the IAF and ILAC multilateral recognition arrangements, under ISO/IEC 17025 for laboratory testing, ISO/IEC 17020 for inspection and surveillance, and ISO/IEC 17021-1 and ISO/IEC 17065 for system and product certification. This chain ensures the reports and certificates issued are accepted worldwide.
Whether this test can be offered within accredited scope depends on your product and the standard applied; since accreditation is method-based, the scope is confirmed in writing at the quotation stage.
Scope and authorisationsRelated Regulations
- (EC) 1907/2006 REACH Annex XVII
- 2009/48/EC Toy Safety Directive
- (EU) Regulation 2023/915 on Maximum Levels of Contaminants in Food
- (EC) 1223/2009 Cosmetic Products Regulation
Oyuncak Testleri — What Does This Testing Field Cover?
The section below describes the field that the Heavy Metals test belongs to; the conditions and acceptance criteria of this particular test are given in the sections above. The scope specific to your product is confirmed in writing at the quotation stage.
Toy testing shows that a product is safe in children's use. What sets this family apart is that risk is defined according to the USER: the same product may be hazardous for a child under 36 months and safe for an older child. Age marking is therefore not a marketing preference but a technical decision that determines which requirements apply, and it is justified in the technical file.
At the centre of the field is the risk of CHOKING. Children under 36 months put objects in their mouths; a part that detaches or is small to begin with can block the airway. Assessment with the small parts cylinder is the fundamental criterion for this group, and the tests examine whether the part detaches after use and misuse.
The logic of the tests is not that the toy must not break but that BREAKING must not produce a hazardous outcome. A child drops, pulls, bites and stands on a toy. Drop, tension, compression, torque, impact and tipping tests are therefore applied, and the resulting new state is then assessed: is the detached part a small part, did the broken surface leave a sharp edge, has the internal mechanism become accessible?
On the chemical axis, MIGRATION is what counts. What is measured in a toy is not how much of an element the material contains but how much of it dissolves and transfers under conditions simulating the mouth. Materials are divided into three categories (dry brittle powder, liquid or sticky, scrapable) and different limits apply to each; the amount of material a child could ingest varies by category.
Flammability is the third axis and is critical particularly for costumes, tents and plush toys: how quickly flame spreads across the surface is measured.
Electrical and battery-powered toys bring additional bodies of work: EN 62115 for electrical safety, the relevant battery standards and Battery Regulation obligations for the battery. For toys containing button cells, making the battery compartment impossible for a child to open has become a separate requirement — a swallowed button cell is a cause of serious injury.
Sound level is an item that is often overlooked. For toys used close to the ear (toy telephones, rattles, cap-firing toys) the sound pressure is limited; the risk of hearing damage is assessed.
Market regimes differ and do not substitute for one another: the Toy Safety Directive and CE marking in Europe, and in the United States the CPSIA with mandatory ASTM F963 and a third-party laboratory certificate (CPC). The United States also looks at total lead content while Europe looks at migration; the two approaches can produce different results.
Method groups in this field
Mechanical and physical
Small parts assessment, sharp edges and points, entrapment, cord and drawstring safety, dynamic strength, drop and tipping (EN 71-1).
Flammability
Rate of flame spread and ignition behaviour (EN 71-2); decisive for costumes and plush toys.
Element migration
Migration of specified elements in the three material categories (EN 71-3).
Organic chemicals
Phthalates, flame retardants, azo dyes, preservatives and fragrances (EN 71-9 and REACH restrictions).
Electrical toys
Electrical safety under EN 62115; heating, insulation, battery compartment and charging safety.
Sound and other
Sound pressure measurements; the requirements of EN 71-4 and EN 71-5 for chemistry sets and chemical toys.
Commonly confused in this field
- Toy safety cannot be demonstrated with a single standard; the mechanical, flammability and chemical parts are assessed together.
- Age marking determines which requirements apply; it must be justified in the technical file and not left to marketing preference.
- An ASTM F963 report is not accepted in a CE file; the requirements and test arrangements of the two regimes differ.
- Migration and total content are different things; the CPSIA looks at total lead while EN 71-3 looks at migration.
- If the material category is chosen incorrectly the limit is applied incorrectly too; the category decision is made before sample preparation.
- For toys containing button cells, battery compartment safety is a separate requirement; passing electrical safety is not sufficient.
Which decisions these results support
- CE marking and the technical file
- Determining age marking and warning texts
- The CPC certificate and mandatory third-party testing for the US market
- Supplier and lot-based acceptance control
- Determining the scope of retesting after a design change
Related Tests
Frequently Asked Questions About Heavy Metals
Is nickel included in this scope?
Nickel release is a separate test (EN 1811) and applies to metal parts in direct prolonged contact with the skin. Accessories such as zippers, snaps and buttons are evaluated separately from fabric or leather.
Should I ask for total or extractable?
If skin contact risk is assessed, extractable method is the right question. Some legislative provisions, such as the lead and cadmium restriction, are defined in terms of total content; Whatever your specification requires is applied.
Can the textile result be used for toys?
Not available. EN 71-3 measures metal migrating under stomach acid-like conditions and defines different limits depending on the material category. The result of sweat extraction taken for textile does not indicate the suitability of the toy.
Is the total chrome result the same as chrome VI?
It is not. Heavy metal analysis gives total chromium and this alone is not a non-compliance. Hexavalent chromium (Cr VI) is restricted in leather and is measured separately by ISO 17075.