Claire’s, a global chain, recently disputed the findings of Sean Fitzgerald, including his assertions that his tests found tremolite asbestos at “alarming rates” in 17 individual makeup products sold by Claire’s at locations around the United States.

A North Carolina scientist hired by a Providence law firm continues to stand behind his assertion that Claire’s, a global chain, has sold makeup products containing a cancer-causing substance to children and teens.

Claire’s recently disputed the findings of Sean Fitzgerald, including his assertions that his tests found tremolite asbestos at “alarming rates” in 17 individual makeup products sold by Claire’s at locations around the United States.

In December, the Deaton Law Firm publicized Fitzgerald’s findings and Claire’s announced, through a spokeswoman, Marcia Horowitz, that it would pull the products in question from store shelves and it would immediately investigate.

In a statement on Thursday, Claire’s contested Fitzgerald’s findings and asserted that “two certified independent labs” had done tests showing that the products under scrutiny are “asbestos-free, completely safe and meet all government requirements.”

Claire’s did not respond to an email that asked the company to identify the labs that it hired.

Fitzgerald said he had deduced that the source of the detected asbestos was talc, through a process of elimination, based on his knowledge of minerals.

Claire’s has asserted that the talc ingredient it uses in its cosmetics is “asbestos-free” and the company cited “certificates of analysis” provided by its supplier, Merck.

“Any report that suggests that the products are not safe is totally false,” says the company’s statement, which adds that Claire’s has shared the certificates with Health Canada and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Claire’s stated it also plans to share the results of its own testing with government regulators.

The Deaton Law Firm stated that it provided detailed information and data on Fitzgerald’s tests to Claire’s. Meanwhile, Claire’s asserted that it had not received such data after requesting it.

Also, in its statement, Claire’s disputed the methodology of Fitzgerald’s tests, without elaborating further.

Fitzgerald disputes the methodology of Claire’s tests, saying he doubts Claire’s labs used an electron microscope for the analysis and still found no asbestos.

Citing his own experience of testing 17 individual Claire’s products and finding asbestos in all 17 samples, which were from around the country, Fitzgerald said he’s doubtful another lab conducted another round of testing of similar scope, also using an electron microscope, and found no asbestos.

“If they were using an electron microscope, they would have seen the big, nasty asbestos fibers that I saw,” Fitzgerald said.

Fitzgerald began to test Claire’s products after a Rhode Island woman and Deaton Law Firm employee, Kristiana Warner, sent him one sample for testing. Her inquisitive 6-year-old daughter had suggested a test on an Aqua Glitter kit purchased at Providence Place mall.

Warner and Fitzgerald both say they were surprised when that test came back positive.