Press Releases

For Immediate Release

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., the world leader in serving science, has launched a webinar series to educate manufacturers, consumer advocates and government regulators about solutions available to prevent dangerous lead levels in toys and children’s jewelry. Recent news about product recalls, most recently in toys originating in China, has many consumers, manufacturers and industry stakeholders calling for a comprehensive solution. Thermo Fisher Scientific originally designed its Thermo Scientific NITON® handheld elemental analyzers to help manufacturers and their supply chains comply with EU (1) and China RoHS (2), ELV (3) and WEEE (4) directives. Through this series of webinars, the company is hoping to educate brand owners, contract manufacturers, importers and distributors and others connected to the issue about solutions and processes that can be put in place to screen plastics, polymers, solders and metal alloys in toys, jewelry and other products. Interested manufacturers, regulators, consumer advocates and other stakeholders can sign up for the free Thermo Fisher Scientific webinars at www.thermo.com/niton. “We’re hoping to show as many stakeholders as possible that proven processes and technologies exist today to prevent contaminated toys from reaching children,” said Jon Shein, global marketing director for Thermo Fisher Scientific’s NITON Analyzers business unit. “We’ve been participating in free screenings across the country for years, and, given the recent spate of news stories about dangerous toys entering the U.S. market, we feel it’s time to make even more manufacturers and consumers aware of this preventable risk to children.”

In addition to its webinar series, Thermo Fisher Scientific collaborates with not-for-profit organizations across the U.S. to screen toys and child accessible products for dangerous levels of lead and other hazardous substances. These screenings have led to local news stories across the U.S. alerting consumers about the risks present in their children’s toy boxes and jewelry chests.

About NITON Analyzers

The handheld Thermo Scientific NITON XLt 797 provides a fast, reliable and nondestructive means of screening toys, jewelry and electronic components for restricted substances such as lead. Using the x-ray fluorescence (XRF) technique, the instruments are equipped with an integrated touch-screen display and easy-to-use, intuitive software, permitting rapid screening of incoming shipments as well as existing inventory, providing significant savings in both time and costs as compared to fixed laboratory analysis. Additionally, all readings are encrypted and locked against editing, preserving and protecting the data from each sample analysis, ensuring that results are not unintentionally or intentionally compromised.

An effective screening program using handheld XRF analysis greatly reduces the chances that lead containing materials will enter the manufacturing process, or accidentally end up on store shelves. This starts with a process that includes rapid screening of metals, polymers and components at the receiving dock, in the warehouse, during product assembly and even at vendor sites, including testing through packaging to save time.

1 European Parliament and Council Directive 2002/95/EC of 27 January 2003 on the restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment (RoHS). Official Journal L 37, 3/2/2003 P. 0019 - 0023

2 “Administrative Measure on the Control of Pollution Caused by Electronic Information Products.” Ministry of Information Industry of the People’s Republic of China. 28/2/2006.

3 European Parliament and Council Directive 2000/53/EC of 18 September 2000 on end-of-life vehicles (ELV). Official Journal L 269 , 21/10/2000 P. 0034 – 0042

4 European Parliament and Council Directive 2002/96/EC of 27 January 2003 on waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). Official Journal L 37, 13/2/2003 P. 0024 – 0038

About Thermo Fisher Scientific

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE: TMO) is the world leader in serving science, enabling our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer. With an annual revenue rate of more than $9 billion, we employ 30,000 people and serve over 350,000 customers within pharmaceutical and biotech companies, hospitals and clinical diagnostic labs, universities, research institutions and government agencies, as well as environmental and industrial process control settings. Serving customers through two premier brands, Thermo Scientific and Fisher Scientific, we help solve analytical challenges from routine testing to complex research and discovery. Thermo Scientific offers customers a complete range of high-end analytical instruments as well as laboratory equipment, software, services, consumables and reagents to enable integrated laboratory workflow solutions. Fisher Scientific provides a complete portfolio of laboratory equipment, chemicals, supplies and services used in healthcare, scientific research, safety and education. Together, we offer the most convenient purchasing options to customers and continuously advance our technologies to accelerate the pace of scientific discovery, enhance value for customers and fuel growth for shareholders and employees alike. Visit www.thermofisher.com.

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