Protecting workers from lead exposure: ALS analytical support for hero wipes fire efficacy study

Lead (Pb) contamination in the workplace remains a serious occupational health concern. Even when exposure controls are in place, workers face the risk of "toxic handoff" – the inadvertent transfer of lead from contaminated hands to the mouth, eyes or other surfaces. ALS provided analytical support for a study evaluating the effectiveness of Hero Wipes™ Fire wipes at removing lead contaminants from skin. The study provides useful data on wipe-based hand cleaning as a potential tool for reducing lead transfer, or ‘toxic handoff,’ in occupational settings.

The problem: lead on workers' hands

Research conducted by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) across more than 70 Health Hazard Evaluations (HHE) in workplaces has highlighted the persistent risk of skin contamination from lead:

• Field samples at a lead-acid battery plant detected as much as 3,000 µg of lead on a single worker's hands
• Even after washing with soap and water, an average of 530 µg of lead was found remaining on workers' hands

These findings show that conventional handwashing may not always fully remove lead from workers’ hands in high-exposure environments. Industries at risk include battery manufacturing, shooting ranges, construction and demolition, smelting and refining and any facility where lead-containing materials are handled.

The study: testing Hero Wipes Fire wipes performance

The study was designed to evaluate Hero Wipes Fire wipes as a decontamination solution for lead-exposed workers, following cleansing protocols modeled on prior research by Esswein et al. ALS performed all analytical analysis of the lead sampling wipes used in the study.

Materials

A leaded dust mixture was prepared by blending lead powder and cornstarch at a target concentration of 90.9 mg Pb per gram. Analytical testing of the bulk dust sample measured 69,000 µg/g lead, and the applied lead values used in the results tables were adjusted based on the measured concentration.

Four protocols tested

Four cleansing protocols were evaluated, each performed in five replicates, varying lead dust load and whether a post-wipe water rinse was used: 

Protocols C and D were designed to challenge the wipes under extreme conditions, doubling the lead load to simulate heavy contamination scenarios.

Results: exceptional lead removal across all protocols

Table 1: Lead recovery from each replicate

Table 2: Calculated percent lead removal

Key findings:

• Hero Wipes Fire wipes removed between 95.9% and 99.7% of lead across all protocols
• Adding a 20-second water rinse after wiping (protocols B & D) pushed removal rates to nearly 99.7%
• Performance was consistent at both lead concentrations, demonstrating effectiveness even under heavy contamination loads
• By comparison, Esswein et al. found that soap and water alone left 270 µg of lead on the hands – far exceeding the residual lead levels observed with Hero Wipes Fire wipes.

Conclusion: Hero Wipes Fire wipes outperform soap and water

The results of this study demonstrate that Hero Wipes Fire wipes are a highly effective solution for removing lead contamination from workers' hands, significantly outperforming conventional handwashing with liquid soap and water. The wipes performed consistently across both standard and elevated lead loading conditions, demonstrating that they are a reliable decontamination tool for high-exposure occupational environments.

The addition of a brief water rinse following wiping provides the highest level of lead removal, but even wipe-only protocols achieved removal rates exceeding 95%.

Cccupational & industrial hygiene testing

ALS provided the analytical support that made this study possible. ALS offers a comprehensive suite of occupational and industrial hygiene testing services, including:

• 🧪 Surface wipe sampling for lead and other heavy metals
• 🌬️ Air monitoring for airborne lead and particulates
• 🔬 Bulk material analysis for lead in paint, dust and soil
• 📋 NIOSH and OSHA method compliance for workplace exposure assessments.

For more information about occupational health and metals testing services from ALS, please contact your ALS project manager or go to alsglobal.com

References

1. Esswein, E. (2005). Preventing the Toxic Hand Off. Occupational Hazards.

2. Esswein, E.J. et al. (1996). Health Hazard Evaluation Report, Standard Industries, San Antonio, Texas. US DHHS, CDC, NIOSH HETA #94-0268-2618.

3. Esswein, E., Boeniger, M.F., & Ashley, K. (2011). Handwipe method for removing lead from skin. Journal of ASTM International, 8(10). https://doi.org/10.1520/JAI103527

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