Typical American house key: 12,800 ppm Lead. 90 ppm is unsafe. Don’t let kids (especially babies) play with real keys!
When tested with an XRF instrument, this typical American house door key
had the following reading: 12,800 ppm Lead
How much Lead is “too much” Lead?
The current amount of Lead that is considered toxic (and illegal) in an item “intended for use by children” is anything over 90 ppm Lead in the paint, glaze or coating of an item, and anything over 100 ppm Lead in the substrate. Currently in the U.S., items not expressly manufactured and sold as “intended for use by children” (including dishware, and keys) are generally completely unregulated for total Lead content (as detectable with an XRF instrument)!
Why do modern keys have so much Lead?
Keys specifically are generally made from Leaded brass, as the popular metal alloy has many “desirable” industrial properties: the metal itself is inexpensive, and quite easy/quick to machine, helping to make the cutting of keys a rapid and cheap process, and is both “self-lubricating” (useful in this application by supposedly reducing the tendency of locks to jam), and a very soft metal alloy, which allegedly helps reduce wear on the internal mating surfaces of the lock. However, given what we know today about Lead’s extreme neurotoxicity, the practice of making any consumer goods from Leaded brass should regarded as simply no longer acceptable. [Moreover, I would strongly advise not bringing children anywhere near the vicinity of any key-cutting area of any store — as the Lead dust levels on the floors and other horizontal surfaces are likely be dangerously high!]
Fortunately, keys can easily and economically be made from a variety of other – Lead-free – alloys, and Lead-free keys are available for purchase at many hardware stores (the most popular ones are made of strong aluminum alloys, and while aluminum is much lighter, and stiffer – thus, less prone to being easily bent – they are a bit more brittle than brass keys – and thus less resistant to very rough treatment; they would be more likely to break off in the lock if repeatedly subjected to excessive force [#ExperienceSpeaking]). If not stocked at your local hardware store, most key blanks & keys are available for order in a variety of non-leaded alloys.
Advice / takeaway:
Don’t let children (especially babies – or any other child who puts things in their mouth) play with ordinary “real” house keys. Buy them a child-safe toy set instead (the nicest ones I’ve seen are non-toxic, indestructible stainless steel, and beautifully-designed with no sharp edges — to be really baby-safe. Here’s an Amazon affiliate link to those – made by Kleynimals (a corporate sponsor of my advocacy work!): https://amzn.to/2TcVJwl
Click to read: Why “Kleynimals” is a good alternative choice for kids!
Continue reading below the image…
Additional related reading:
- To see more keys I have tested (with their Lead readings), click here.
- To see more Leaded brass items I have tested, click here.
- To see more safe choices from Kleynimals that I have tested, click here.
As always, please let me know if you have any questions.
Thank you for reading and for sharing my posts!
Tamara Rubin
#LeadSafeMama
Amazon links are affiliate links. If you purchase something after clicking on one of my links I may receive a small percentage of what you spend at no extra cost to you.
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How much of a problem would it be handling something like this (not putting it in your mouth)?
It would likely be a source of low level contamination of clothes you hold them in, your hands, anything you touch with your hands. Needless to say you shouldn’t touch your lips or mouth without washing your hands
How do you avoid contact or contamination? Have you tested Hillman brand as well? What about hardware stores that cut new keys and have the shavings everywhere?? (I did this while pregnant.. no idea of them having lead or being an issue)
She doesn’t care, as the purpose of this article is mainly to promote Kleynimals and to get referral income from Amazon using her “auntie07-20” referral code embedded in the link.
Hi John!
Gah! Troll much? Have you read my privacy policy about bullying comments? It is linked on every page of the website.
The purpose of the post is to PROTECT BABIES – to inform parents NOT to give their keys to their children to play with!!!! I had 1.95 MILLION readers on my blog in the past year – I cannot possibly respond to every single comment – although I do try! [Even though I am a low income mother of disabled children, one of whom has a permanent brain injury as a result of being Lead poisoned as a baby!)
Here’s my privacy policy, you may want to think twice about bullying and trolling in the future:
https://tamararubin.com/about/lead-safe-mama-llc-privacy-policy/
Thank you for commenting.
Tamara
I feel like this becomes a compelling argument for getting one of those punch key combination keypad locks.
Thanks for your advice! I’ll not give a key to my child at all.
You may want to do more research and include references in your posts.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3814711/#__ffn_sectitle
https://www.google.com/search?q=unsafe+blood+lead+levels&oq=unsafe+blood+lead&aqs=chrome.1.69i57j0i22i30i457.6185j0j7&client=ms-android-samsung&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8
Thank you for those links Zack!
You are 100% right that we should avoid giving the keys to our teenage children. I as a mother of a 3 years baby girl always focus on the safety of my family.
Thanks for the info, Tamara! Noted! No keys for our daughter until we can get new ones cut.
Hi Tamara,
Where do you store your car keys and mailbox keys? Mine can only be bought from the dealership and cannot be replaced. I usually keep them in my pockets or handbags but now I don’t know where to store them.