RACINE, Wisc. – [August 31, 2010] – In response to an influx of queries
resulting from the June release of its white paper asking for validity
regarding the test methods using X-ray Spectrometry (XRF) in the Carpet and Rug
Institute’s (CRI) Seal of Approval (SOA) Program, Racine Industries (RI) today
released an abridged, easy-to-read reference guide to the paper. This version
is designed to summarize the paper’s questions and findings in order to further
dispel confusion and misinformation surrounding the XRF technology and testing
protocols used in the CRI’s SOA program.
“When NASA press releases make the claim that this XRF testing measures the
water in carpets, which is invalid, or when the vice president of marketing
from a major carpet mill says that this XRF testing sees cleaning product
residue as well as the designer soil, which it doesn’t, it is obvious that even
the people most involved with the CRI SOA program are confused or misinformed,”
said Deborah Lema, Research & Education Associate, Racine Industries. “We
put together some of the main points and questions that we still have in a concise
list, so that those impacted by the SOA program may more briefly and easily
refer to them. Our hope is that this will increase the demand for additional
evidence, testing and transparency.”
Some of the key points of the Summary Reference Guide:
- No method validation study has been completed or
shared. Among other things, method validation studies are necessary to
ensure that a test method works.
- Outside XRF experts have doubts that this way of using XRF is
effective.
- This type of XRF technology works best with a flat, even surface.
Carpet is not a flat, even surface.
- Where the soils are on the carpet fibers matters to XRF. The
same amount of soil at the top of the fibers is reported as a higher amount
than if it was at the base of the fibers. Therefore, if leftover soil is
moved at all during a cleaning, or if the carpet yarns aren’t returned to the
positions they were in before cleaning, the XRF readings will have
errors.
- The carpet in this testing scenario is moving on a conveyor. There
are questions about what this does to test accuracy.
- The composition of the designer soil used in the PTL test is similar
in some respects to vacuumed dirt. However, extractors are designed to clean
the dirt left behind after vacuuming, so using designer soil based on vacuumed
dirt to test extractors, etc. is not appropriate.
- Dirt used in the test samples is not walked into the carpet fibers as
soil would be in a real-life situation.
- What is the accuracy or uncertainty in the SOA’s XRF
measurements? What evidence is available for those using SOA products or
for a purchaser of SOA testing that the SOA XRF testing produces useful
measurements? The analytical quality is unknown.
“There are numerous questions regarding the testing methods used in the SOA
program,” added Lema. “With this summary, interested parties and stakeholders
will have a quick reference of what questions to ask when reviewing the testing
protocols.”
For a full copy of the reference guide, go to
www.carpetdiemblog.com.
