The Beta Inkless Pen (2-Pack) Discussions | Drop

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Dec 18, 2014

All these comments abodt use, price, shipping, and Amazon but nothing about the lead?! There is trace amounts of lead" what s a trace? 2% 20% 0.2%?! Sane minds would like to know... and parents and fertile couples.

Dec 18, 2014

Iacoizumi

232

Dec 18, 2014

AddyRI can't find any specifics online, but assuming it meets US safety standards, you're looking at less than 90 ppm,100 ppm, or 300 ppm, depending on which of several federal guidelines this pen falls under.
(1) 90 ppm: Lead allowed in "paint or similar surface coatings" for all children's products. (2) 100 ppm: Lead allowed in all children's products not covered above. (3) 300 ppm: Lead allowed in the metal components used children's products and bicycles. (4) 400 ppm: Maximum amount of lead allowed in the soil surrounding a "play area". (5) 1200 ppm: Maximum amount of lead allowed in the soil surrounding a home.
Source for 1-3: http://www.cpsc.gov/en/Business--Manufacturing/Business-Education/Lead/Total-Lead-Content/ Source for 4-5: http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/retrieveECFR?gp=1&SID=79d9123c529d8f8ca792833afe6b664f&ty=HTML&h=L&n=pt40.31.745&r=PART#se40.31.745_165
Seeing how the medically safe limit at which a diagnosis of lead poisoning becomes a possibility is 0.35 ppm in the blood, 10 ppm in the liver, or 10 ppm in the kidney, and taking into consideration that the EPA only allows a lead concentration of 15 ppb (0.015 ppm) in your tap water, I'd follow the instructions provided by the vendor. Safe for use, but don't suck on the tip.
(It's also worth noting I'm not a lawyer or doctor. The above is just information from google.)
Edit: Also, @AlexPeterkin, I'd be interested to hear if the 'ink' from this pen is conductive!

Dec 18, 2014

AddyR

Dec 19, 2014

IacoizumiWow, thanks. Amazing researching

Dec 19, 2014

gmilburn

Jan 29, 2015

IacoizumiIacoizumi - None of those standards apply to this product. It could be pure lead.

Jan 29, 2015

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Diggy

Jan 29, 2015

gmilburnIf it was PURE lead ... it wouldn't be a trace amount then would it? A trace amount technically speaking is "a tiny or scarcely detectable amount or characteristic" as defined by dictionary definition.

Jan 29, 2015

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gmilburn

Jan 30, 2015

DiggyWhat I'm saying is that those standards do not apply to this product. There could be any amount of lead in there whatsoever. "Trace" is a meaningless word in this context given the small concentrations at which lead affects aspects of human health.

Jan 30, 2015

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AlexGk

143

Feb 1, 2015

gmilburnYou might want to check the Napkin 4.ever, it should be lead free. I personally tried it, it writes like a pencil (not a pen) and it is erasable as long as you don't apply too much pressure on the tip while writing. Honestly, I couldn't recommend buying it, even if it seems better than the Beta. First, it is more expensive. Second, it's really heavy (even if it has an aluminum body). Third, it's not really smooth, and I love smoothness. IMHO, these "inkless pen", should be recommended for writing on surface that would make normal pens and pencils useless, like umid surfaces or non paper based supports. Just my 2 cents, clearly.

Feb 1, 2015

Diggy

Feb 12, 2015

gmilburnHow exactly does it not apply when that is the terminology used? After some contextual research I feel that a more definitive response from the company would be appropriate. I found this quote on Wikipedia: "No safe threshold for lead exposure has been discovered—that is, there is no known sufficiently small amount of lead that will not cause harm to the body."
Even taking a grain of salt with a source from Wikipedia it is still quite ominous. So err on the side of caution I would guess.

Feb 12, 2015

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