Spode Vintage “Fairy Dell” English China: 36,400 ppm Lead + Arsenic! 90 ppm Lead (& up) is unsafe in kids’ items.

Copeland Spode Vintage “Fairy Dell” China, Made in England.

This dish the following test results when tested with an XRF instrument:

• Lead (Pb): 36,400 +/- 1,400 ppm
• Arsenic (As): 2,332 +/- 288 ppm
• Cadmium (Cd): “ND” (non-detect)/ Negative
• Mercury (Hg): “ND” (non-detect)/ Negative

To learn more about XRF testing, Click Here.

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For context:

• The amount of lead that is considered unsafe in a newly manufactured item intended for children is 90 ppm in the coating or 100 ppm in the substrate.
• Dishware is not regulated for total lead content as detectable with an XRF.
• Most vintage dishware was also not regulated for leach testing standards (or other standards) at the time of manufacture (depending on the age).
• There are documented cases of both children and adults being poisoned from eating off of high lead vintage/ antique dishware.
• Most “Made in England” vintage china that I have tested has been similarly high lead (in the range of 40,000 to 50,000 ppm and sometimes higher.)
• To be on the safe side, I advocate for avoiding vintage china if at all possible (unless you have had it tested and found it to be truly lead free.)

Read more about the concern for lead in dishware here.

Not all pretty dishes are leaded!
Do you want to see a lead-free dish set that is also pretty? Click this link! *

Thank you for reading and for sharing my posts.

As always, please let me know if you have any questions!

Tamara Rubin
#LeadSafeMama

[*It’s an Amazon affiliate link & if you purchase something using one of these links I may get a small referral fee from Amazon, at no extra cost to you, in exchange for sending you their way.]