Innov-X Introduces Handheld Analyzer

Innov-X Systems Inc., Woburn, Mass., has introduced a handheld chemical analyzer that can help identify toxins in soil, according to a release from the company.

Chromated Copper Arsenate (CCA) had been used for decades in treating wood used in outdoor playground equipment, says Don Sackett, Innov-X Systems president.

And although manufacturers of CCA voluntarily agreed with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to stop manufacturing CCA-treated wood for most consumer applications in December 2003, arsenic can leach out of aging wood onto the surface or surrounding soil, creating potential health hazards, Sackett says.

Innov-X’s handheld XRF analyzer can identify arsenic in soils or CCA-treated wood in two or three seconds, providing a useful tool in assessing and eliminating risks of tainted soil, according to Sackett.

According to a release from Innov-X, a study by the University of Massachusetts and Wellesley College identified at least 18 Boston playgrounds with arsenic-tainted soil.

“We need to make it a priority to identify sites for clean up of pollutants and the CCA-wood for proper disposal,” Sackett says. “We need to use the tools we have at our disposal to eliminate the risk to our children.”

The analyzer is an x-ray tube-based portable tool capable of identifying copper, chrome, arsenic and over 20 other metals, according to Innov-X.