Battery Terminal Brush Contains Chemicals?

strnjss · Nov 12, 2011

So I just picked up a no-name battery terminal brush like this:

ewPKBusvcdAe_XYeDZoxjB3FxKE5HQZjdbStMfR82xTk3IKGCCIC2eWdPRtejUgK9qXJDAAtcYCHRiEUvwmpb9pxoU2F4vuNGVoh2GRznwOblXjIh177BZnnAagEPDV6F3S87VSE-FLzMuSXqH1G69YIkYWZrccu060o1NZromxq3Qhag-44JZNmuF5jU0ONEOhWvXDHjQSMoqxEYtsqyESGZcejw07YLYzI5ekxyTj-fdrbT07RXpH-iLWThM56kGUAr0QvKzCfOp5SdbCMYHblpfxlBnJk8VQzhZUh0GfT4h6-jZEzMH_EQ0YyARgrlWHlk66T9YhxW9CN76yfVF8l2w

and noticed that it, like so many other products these days says: "Warning: This product and it's packaging contain chemicals known to the state of California to cause cancer and birth defects".

How on Earth do they have to have Lead or some other chemical in this stupid little piece of metal and brush????

Do they have to put the warning on it because it's intended use is on batteries that contain lead? Or does China just pour it on to every single one of their products?

kythri · Nov 12, 2011

You're blaming the wrong PRC.

This is California's hyperactive safety nonsense.

G1GRANDEUR · Nov 12, 2011

No, it's just a normal brush. Well, maybe tad bit of lead. :bounce:

pipsters · Nov 12, 2011

It's probably not lead, but brass. Someone else just posted about this as well but Lisle @ Sears sells a plastic bodied one for around $6.

diesel research · Nov 12, 2011

Cheap brass is alloyed with a minor percent lead to make machining easier. In the case of "plastic" it is also sometimes added in small amounts.

I found made in the USA toothbrush type stainless brushes for less than $1. The chinese versions are closer to $1.50 or $2. Not the best for lead top posts maybe, but great for various copper lug type terminals.

93sr20det · Nov 12, 2011

diesel research said:
I found made in the USA toothbrush type stainless brushes for less than $1. The chinese versions are closer to $1.50 or $2. Not the best for lead top posts maybe, but great for various copper lug type terminals.

Where? All I can get is chicom ****....

diesel research · Nov 12, 2011

93sr20det said:
Where? All I can get is chicom ****....

Brush Research Mfg. Co.
Brush Research is a private, family owned company located in Los Angeles, California. We've been in the business of solving difficult finishing problems with brushing technology since 1958. BRM was one of the first companies to advocate the critical need for finer surface finishes to optimize performance. Concepts such as plateau finishing were pioneered by our founder, Steve Rands, and are now commonplace goals across many industries.

The Flex-Hone® Tool is the premium standard that all surface finishing tools are compared against. No other tool can as easily, quickly, and affordably create the microstructure finish necessary for maximum performance and life of your products.

All of the tools we manufacture are still made right here at home in the U.S.A. We have over 75 employees in Los Angeles, and provide product for hundreds of distributors across the country. Our flex hone tools and industrial brushes are exported to over 50 countries around the world.

Brush Research believes in creating the best. That goes for our products and service. As Steve Rands said, "Nothing improves until someone stops and questions an accepted assumption."

It doesn't make sense to spend a LOT of extra time just for 1 or 2 $0.89 brushes, but if you are already shopping for other things or buying in large quantities, this is the people to check out.

Zrexxer · Nov 12, 2011

That's a California Prop 65 warning, which is required whenever any element or compound on their list is used in a product. The fact that a product bears a Proposition 65 warning does not mean by itself that the product is unsafe.

In this case, it's very likely the chrome plating, as Hexavalent Chromium is a listed Prop 65 chemical. Or it could be the packaging as indicated, if it's plastic containing any of the myriad of listed organic compounds.

iroc409 · Nov 12, 2011

Maybe it's Cadmium. China has put that in a lot of our imports, like children's toys and imported tooth paste LOL.

If they're putting it in tooth paste, it could be just about anywhere.

AZ_Catskinner · Nov 12, 2011

Somewhere out in the garage I've got a sleeve of golf balls that may wipe out California with all of their carcinogenic chemicals.

ptschram · Nov 12, 2011

strnjss said:
How on Earth do they have to have Lead or some other chemical in this stupid little piece of metal and brush????

Um, everything is made out of chemicals...

kythri · Nov 12, 2011

ptschram said:
Um, everything is made out of chemicals...

And in California, you've got to be careful, because the unique properties of that oh-so-majestic state cause even the most minute of a quantity of those horrible, evil chemicals to do so many awful, terrible things that they don't do anywhere else.

ptschram · Nov 12, 2011

kythri said:
And in California, you've got to be careful, because the unique properties of that oh-so-majestic state cause even the most minute of a quantity of those horrible, evil chemicals to do so many awful, terrible things that they don't do anywhere else.

LOL-I've often thought, what is it that makes Kommiefornia so special that only they know something is carcinogenic?

strnjss · Nov 12, 2011

Thanks everyone for the responses. On the one hand, I get the ridiculousness of the California warning. But on the other hand, I like that it's forced too.

Like this terminal cleaner, I really don't care too much about. It's going to be covered in battery corrosion, and touching lead and all kinds of chemicals anyway.

But I see this sticker on things that just should not contain anything to warrant a sticker!

Like I went to buy a ratcheting tie down strap and it said it contained lead! Why? There are tie downs out there that don't need the sticker because they are made right!

Some cheap multimeter wires I bought once had the warning too, and they are meant to be handled all the time.

Heck, I even bought shampoo once that said "not for sale in California". I got suspicious so I researched the ingredients and found that one is a known Carcinogen!

I mean I know the stickers are a little overboard in some cases, but there really is no reason in many of these cases for the product to contain the chemicals that warrant the sticker.

Small risk or large risk, it's just companies being cheap and lazy.

ptschram said:
Um, everything is made out of chemicals...

Not everything is made out of proven carcinogenic and/or mutagenic chemicals though, which is the whole point.

stopdroplol · Nov 12, 2011

Most of the products that have those warning labels are not required to have them. It just opens them up to a whole mess of civil lawsuits so it's put in as a "cover your ***" type of thing.

At the end of the day though those warnings are there to protect us. If the manufacturer wanted too they could get out of it. All they would have to do is prove that the product isn't a danger under normal use, or reformulate it so it doesn't have harmful products.

kythri · Nov 12, 2011

strnjss said:
I mean I know the stickers are a little overboard in some cases, but there really is no reason in many of these cases for the product to contain the chemicals that warrant the sticker.

Small risk or large risk, it's just companies being cheap and lazy.

Not everything is made out of proven carcinogenic and/or mutagenic chemicals though, which is the whole point.

The thing is, it's not necessarily companies being cheap or lazy - it's that they really don't care what California thinks, and the fact that California's regulations are ridiculous.

Remember when saccharin was horrible and dangerous and Tab was pulled from the shelves because it was considered a carcinogen due to lab rats getting cancer from it?

That's all bogus. Most of that garbage has been debunked, and they've shown that not only is there zero evidence to suggest that it'll cause cancer in humans, but also that the amount of saccharin provided to these rats was equivalent to drinking ungodly amounts of Tab - you'd have to drink it 24/7/365 for decades or centuries to ever get that same level of saccharin in your system.

In a rare win for rationality, saccharin was delisted by the FDA and EPA from their lists of carcinogens. Wouldn't be surprised to see it still in California.

California's regulation are like that. Someone panicked about something, or someone read some study that might suggest that a particular chemical or compound might have adverse affects on Fluffy the Mouse, so California goes into red alert and lists that compound as bad - usually with no independent research or review.

The issue here isn't that companies are cutting corners or being unreasonably cheap - the issue is that California's regulations are unreasonably strict, and, quite honestly, I'd rather buy a product with California's useless warnings than spend extra money because a company felt the need to ****-up to that bastion of idiocy.

ndoran · Nov 12, 2011

before we are finished we will end up casing small fury animals with sharpened sticks, eating them raw and living in caves to ensure we are at no risk. mmmh! better forget that sharpened stick in case you fall on it

plinker · Nov 12, 2011

IIRC, brass on average contains about 3% lead.

As long as you dont use it as a tooth brush, you'll be ok. :spit:

dragoocoda · Nov 12, 2011

California puts the Prop 65 warning on EVERYTHING!! Funny thing, it's called the Prop 65 warning. Which means it was put on the ballot as a proposition and the citizens voted and PASSED it!!

Fedwrench · Nov 12, 2011

Hell, the chemicals in the battery corrosion will kill you long before the contents of a battery brush will. :lol:

Seriously, think of all of the evil chemicals a mechanic is exposed to on a daily basis, and it's enough to make you want to do something else. :bounce:

OccupantRJ · Nov 12, 2011

The raw materials like steel, brass, and copper we use in manufacturing even come with warnings and msds sheets.

ptschram · Nov 13, 2011

OccupantRJ said:
The raw materials like steel, brass, and copper we use in manufacturing even come with warnings and msds sheets.

Reagent grade water comes with an MSDS. Pure water, something we absolutely need to live, but is dangerous if you drink too much of it, expose yourself to the heated gas, or immerse your head in it and try to breathe.

mikeceli · Nov 13, 2011

Like a LOT of "Looney Toon" legislation in cali, Prop 65 is SO BROAD, lots of companies put the warning on their front doors and all products.

PSYKO_Inc · Nov 14, 2011

I hate this state sometimes...

Drew_flux · Nov 14, 2011

dragoocoda said:
California puts the Prop 65 warning on EVERYTHING!! Funny thing, it's called the Prop 65 warning. Which means it was put on the ballot as a proposition and the citizens voted and PASSED it!!

just bought a usb cable today, warning lable says" insulation may contain lead,wash hands after use and before eating"

blarf · Nov 14, 2011

Drew_flux said:
just bought a usb cable today, warning lable says" insulation may contain lead,wash hands after use and before eating"

Yup. Lead is a plasticizer. Yup. You should wash your hands after using it.

blarf · Nov 14, 2011

Zrexxer said:
In this case, it's very likely the chrome plating, as Hexavalent Chromium is a listed Prop 65 chemical. Or it could be the packaging as indicated, if it's plastic containing any of the myriad of listed organic compounds.

That's (hopefully) unlikely. Heavalent chrome plating is (or can be) RoHS compliant. The plating process (tri- or hexavalent) will leave you with "nonvalent" chrome. But the cost of documenting all this probably makes hexavalent plating in the EU prohibitive.

It's probably the lead.

kythri said:
And in California, you've got to be careful, because the unique properties of that oh-so-majestic state cause even the most minute of a quantity of those horrible, evil chemicals to do so many awful, terrible things that they don't do anywhere else.

Because lots of people prefer to stick their head in the sand? Thing with lead specifically is that your body doesn't do a good job of excreting it. So a little won't hurt, but over time it will. It's like that USB cable. Sure if you eat it, that's probably bad. Or if you make a habit of licking it. But handling it, and then handling food... it all adds up.

Why wouldn't you want to be able to make an informed decision?

dragoocoda said:
California puts the Prop 65 warning on EVERYTHING!! Funny thing, it's called the Prop 65 warning. Which means it was put on the ballot as a proposition and the citizens voted and PASSED it!!

Conversely, most companies take the cheap way out. There are typically alternatives... altho it is funny to walk into a liquor store and see a Prop. 65 warning. Think the fish industry has fought that label pretty well (despite the levels of mercury and other heavy metals present in most fish).

Al Bundy · Nov 14, 2011

blarf said:
Because lots of people prefer to stick their head in the sand? Thing with lead specifically is that your body doesn't do a good job of excreting it. So a little won't hurt, but over time it will. It's like that USB cable. Sure if you eat it, that's probably bad. Or if you make a habit of licking it. But handling it, and then handling food... it all adds up.

Why wouldn't you want to be able to make an informed decision?

If you need the state to tell you to wash your hands before handling food maybe you should be poisoned thus removing you from the gene pool. Do you really need to make an "informed decision" not to be a slob?

Zrexxer · Nov 14, 2011

blarf said:
Heavalent chrome plating is (or can be) RoHS compliant. The plating process (tri- or hexavalent) will leave you with "nonvalent" chrome. But the cost of documenting all this probably makes hexavalent plating in the EU prohibitive.

I must have missed what this has to do with RoHS or the EU. The question is from Boston, Massachussetts concerning a warning required by the state of California on a product that was by all odds made in China.

blarf · Nov 14, 2011

Zrexxer said:
I must have missed what this has to do with RoHS or the EU. The question is from Boston, Massachussetts concerning a warning required by the state of California on a product that was by all odds made in China.

Point being if it (hex chrome plating) passes muster in the EU, it's probably not going to require a Prop. 65 label.

blarf · Nov 14, 2011

Al Bundy said:
If you need the state to tell you to wash your hands before handling food maybe you should be poisoned thus removing you from the gene pool. Do you really need to make an "informed decision" not to be a slob?

Sure. What if it's a USB device you're using in the kitchen? Or what if it were a kitchen tool with leaded plastic? Jewlery for your wife? Some of these chemicals show up in really unexpected places. If you don't care, ignore the label. What's so hard about that?

Complete list can be found here:

http://oehha.ca.gov/prop65/prop65_list/Newlist.html

Al Bundy · Nov 14, 2011

Doesn't matter what it is. Wash your hands before you handle food. Wash your hands after you use the bathroom. You really need a label for that? It's not the governments job to be your nanny. Your mommy should have done that for you.

Every time I get a cup of coffee from McDonalds and read the "caution contents may be hot" label, I'm reminded what a nation of morons we're turning in to.

And I don't buy **** Chinese jewelry for my wife.

strnjss · Jun 17, 2012

So I know this is an ancient thread, but I recently bought a new battery terminal at Autozone which said right on the front "Lead-Free Battery Terminal".

What made this really funny is on the back of the packaging, it had the "warning this product AND PACKAGING contains lead, a chemical know to the state of california....."

The warning must get applied to products that are designed to come in contact with lead too.

y20dth · Jun 17, 2012

strnjss said:
So I know this is an ancient thread, but I recently bought a new battery terminal at Autozone which said right on the front "Lead-Free Battery Terminal".

What made this really funny is on the back of the packaging, it had the "warning this product AND PACKAGING contains lead, a chemical know to the state of california....."

The warning must get applied to products that are designed to come in contact with lead too.

Maybe it's a terminal for a lead-free battery :bounce:

Battery Terminal Brush Contains Chemicals?

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

ALLIANCE MEMBER

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member