The Lead Detection Kit (Rapid – Field Use) is a lead test kit for on-site screening of water samples for lead at 5 ppb and above. Each kit contains 10 single-use lateral flow cassettes (5 samples, each run with its own negative control), and visual results are ready in about 15 minutes.
The field version (catalog AU2027) ships with everything needed to collect and test samples away from the lab, including sample bottles and disposable transfer pipettes. Only a timer is needed. The kit gives results conforming to the US EPA guideline of 15 ppb for lead in drinking water.
Key Features
- Screening level: a visibly lighter test line indicates lead at 5 ppb or higher; no test line indicates 50 ppb or higher.
- Fast: read results about 15 minutes after adding the sample.
- Built-in comparison: each sample is read side by side with a negative control cassette.
- Complete for field work: sample bottles, pipettes and buffer tubes are included; no pipettor, power or instrument required.
- Room-temperature storage: store the kit at 2 to 30 °C; cassettes stay in their sealed pouches until use.
- Optional reader: a lateral flow reader can be used to generate numerical readings from the visual result.
What’s in the Kit
Each lead test kit includes:
- 10 lead test cassettes, each in a foil pouch with desiccant
- 10 disposable transfer pipettes
- 10 Sample Dilution Buffer tubes
- 5 tubes of ultrapure water for the negative controls
- 5 water sample bottles
- Instruction manual
You will also need: a timer. Lead standards of known concentration are optional if you want approximate concentrations.
Who It’s For
This kit is designed for people who need to screen water where it is collected: facility managers, environmental field staff, schools, property managers and water system operators checking taps, wells and point-of-use filters. Because the pipettes and bottles are supplied, no laboratory equipment or pipetting experience is needed.
If you run batches in a lab and already have pipettes and sample containers, the lower-cost Lead Detection Kit (Rapid – Lab) uses the same cassette format without the field supplies. For quantitative results, use the Lead Ion ELISA Kit.
How to Use the Lead Test Kit
Sample collection. Collect water in the supplied sample bottle. A common approach is a first-draw sample collected immediately after opening the tap; if the result is 5 ppb or higher, follow up with a flush sample after the water has sat unused for 8 to 18 hours, or with 8 to 10 sequential samples to check a lead service line. Samples can be refrigerated for up to 5 days, or frozen for longer storage.
- Bring the cassettes, buffer tubes and samples to room temperature.
- Open two pouches for each sample: one cassette for the sample and one for the negative control.
- Sample: with a transfer pipette, draw 150 µL of the water sample (two full draws of the pipette) and add it to a Sample Dilution Buffer tube. Mix by pipetting up and down 3 times, then add the diluted sample to the sample port of the cassette.
- Negative control: with a new pipette, add 150 µL of the supplied ultrapure water to another buffer tube, mix, and apply 150 µL to the sample port of the second cassette.
- Leave both cassettes flat and read the results side by side at about 15 minutes.
Full instructions are in the Lead Lateral Flow Rapid Detection Kit Manual (AU2027).
Reading the Results
A visible control line must appear on both cassettes for the test to be valid. Then compare the test line of the sample with the test line of the negative control:
- Below the detection limit: the sample test line is as dark as, or darker than, the control test line.
- 5 ppb or higher: the sample test line is lighter than the control test line.
- 50 ppb or higher: no test line is visible; only the control line appears.
Read within the stated time, because line intensity changes as the strip dries. For approximate concentrations in the 0 to 20 ppb range, run solutions of known lead concentration at the same time and compare line intensities.
Frequently Asked Questions
How sensitive is this lead test kit?
The lead test kit screens water for lead at 5 ppb and above. A missing test line indicates about 50 ppb or more. It is a qualitative screening test, not a quantitative measurement.
How long does the test take?
Results are read about 15 minutes after the sample is added to the cassette.
What water sources can I test?
The kit is intended for water samples, such as faucets, wells and home purification systems. For soil samples, contact Attogene about extraction and testing methods.
Do I need to confirm positive results?
Yes. Samples requiring regulatory action should be confirmed by a conventional analytical method, such as instrumental analysis or a quantitative ELISA.
What is the difference between the field and lab versions?
The field lead test kit includes sample bottles and disposable transfer pipettes so it can be used anywhere. The lab version contains the cassettes, buffer and negative controls, and assumes you supply your own pipettes and sample containers.
Attogene also offers rapid field kits for other metals, including the Mercury Detection Kit (Rapid – Field Use) and the Cadmium Detection Kit (Rapid – Field Use).
For research use only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures. Questions? Call 512-333-1330 or email sales@attogene.com.
