The Home Depot Hammer Rubberized Handle: 6,156 ppm Lead + 163 ppm Cadmium [90 ppm Lead is unsafe for kids.]

When tested with an XRF instrument the rubberized handle on this The Home Depot brand hammer had the following toxicant readings:

• Lead (Pb): 6,156 ppm
• Cadmium (Cd): 163 ppm

The amount of lead that is considered toxic in a child’s toy is anything 90 ppm Lead or higher in the paint or coating and anything 100 ppm Lead or higher in the substrate.  

Tools are not regulated for the presence of Lead and often have very high levels of lead – especially in the brightly colored paints (Lead-paint is used because it sticks to the metal better) or rubberized handles (with some exceptions – link). Unfortunately small tools like this are often given to children to play with. [While I am not 100% certain, I think this tool may actually have been part of a Home Depot brand child’s set that was given to one of our boys.]