HOW TO TEST YOURSELF
Benzopyrenes: a piece of toast, hot dog, or flame cooked
food. This substance fades in a day, use it while fresh.
Beryllium: a piece of coal; a few drops of “coal oil” or lamp
oil.
Bismuth: use a few drops of antacid with bismuth in it.
Bromine: bleached “brominated” flour.
Cadmium: scrape a bit off a galvanized nail, paint from a
hobby store.
Cesium: scrape the surface of a clear plastic beverage bottle.
CFC’s (Freon): ask an electronics expert for a squirt from
an old aerosol can that used Freon as a cleaner. (Squirt
into water, outdoors, put the water in a sample bottle.)
Chromate: scrape an old car bumper.
Cobalt: pick out the blue and green crumbs from detergent.
A sample of cobalt containing paint should also suffice.
Chlorine: a few drops of pure, old fashioned Clorox.TM
Copper: ask your hardware clerk to cut a small fragment off
a copper pipe of the purest variety or a ¼ inch of pure
copper wire.
Ergot: a teaspoon of rye grains, or rye bread. Add grain al-
cohol to preserve.
Ether: automotive supply store (engine starting fluid).
Ethyl alcohol (grain alcohol): the purest “drinking” alcohol
available. EverclearTM in the United States, ProtecTM
(potable) in Mexico.
Fiberglass: snip a fragment from insulation.
Fluoride: toothpaste with fluoride.
Formaldehyde: purchase 37% at a pharmacy. Use a few
drops only for your sample.
Gasoline: gas station (leaded and unleaded).
Gold: ask a jeweler for a crumb of the purest gold available
or use a wedding ring.
Kerosene: gas station.