#AskTamara: Does my scary zombie Halloween mask have unsafe levels of Lead?

For those new to this website:

Tamara Rubin is a multiple-federal-award-winning independent advocate for childhood Lead poisoning prevention and consumer goods safety, and a documentary filmmaker. She is also a mother of Lead-poisoned children (two of her sons were acutely Lead-poisoned in 2005). Since 2009, Tamara has been using XRF technology (a scientific method used by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission) to test consumer goods for toxicants (specifically heavy metals — including Lead, Cadmium, Mercury, Antimony, and Arsenic). Tamara’s work was featured in Consumer Reports Magazine in February 2023 (March 2023 print edition).

#AskTamara

Question: Does my scary zombie Halloween mask have unsafe levels of Lead?

Answer: I can’t speculate about all masks (I would have to test many examples — from all the different brands — to come up with a more educated science-based opinion), but I will report on my toxicity concerns based on the XRF test results of one specific mask I have tested (the exact mask pictured below).

This is a 2003 Zombie Mask by “The Paper Magic Group” out of Pennsylvania. It is “Made In China,” as many of these items are.

Rule of Thumb: In general, I always assume that Halloween gear might likely be toxic in some way or another unless it is specifically sold and marketed for use by young children.

For more Halloween gear I have tested, click here.

While this particular Zombie mask did NOT test positive for Lead, cadmium, or mercury, it DID test positive for trace levels of Arsenic (As), and extremely high levels of Antimony (Sb).

Please note that several tests were done on each component of the mask, with correspondingly various XRF test results. Some areas of the mask showed lower levels of Antimony (Sb), but I have chosen to share the results with the higher Antimony levels — to demonstrate how extreme and concerning these levels can be.

For a #SaferChoice for Halloween makeup for kids, click here.

Antimony is a known carcinogen and is a chief component in fire retardants and I don’t believe it belongs on a consumer good that is in prolonged contact with our faces (especially a Halloween mask that children might certainly likely use [on their sweaty faces, breathing deeply as they excitedly walk and run — sometimes for cumulative miles — on what is for many the crazed-fantasy-and-significance-imbued-masked-candy-orgy-ritual that is their most-anticipated/cherished day of the entire year] — despite it’s being ostensibly “marketed to, and sold for use by adults”).

To see more things I have tested with an XRF, click here.

Below are the exact XRF test results of the mask pictured.

If a specific element is not listed in a section below it is because the reading for that component of the mask was “ND” (Non-Detect) for that element when tested with an XRF instrument. What this means is that if there is any trace of that element it is below the single-digit ppm detection limit of an XRF designed specifically to test for toxicity in consumer goods. This equates to an effective “negative” for that element when discussing potential toxicity in consumer goods.

White Cheek Area of Mask:

Lead (Pb): ND
Arsenic (As): ND
Mercury (Hg): ND
Cadmium (Cd): ND
Antimony (Sb): 1,398 +/- 24 ppm
Bromine (Br): 765 +/- 16 ppm
Zinc (Zn): 332 +/- 22 ppm
Iron (Fe): 280 +/- 47 ppm
Bismuth (Bi): 118 +/- 15 ppm
Titanium (Ti): 101,900 +/- 2,000 ppm

Black “Hair” of Mask:

Arsenic (As): 21 +/- 12 pm
Antimony (Sb): 17,000 +/- 400 ppm
Bromine (Br): 45,500 +/- 1,100 ppm
Zinc (Zn): 22 +/- 12 ppm
Iron (Fe): 68 +/- 38 ppm
Vanadium (V): 477 +/- 201 ppm
Titanium (Ti): 720 +/- 321 ppm

Black & Red Painted Area of Mouth:

Barium (Ba): 127 +/- 50 ppm
Bromine (Br): 69 +/- 7 ppm
Zinc (Zn): 202 +/- 30 ppm
Iron (Fe): 121 +/- 62 ppm
Titanium (Ti): 63,000 +/- 2,700 ppm

“Teeth”:

Barium (Ba): 362 +/- 149 ppm
Antimony (Sb): 488 +/- 42 ppm
Bromine (Br): 161 +/- 11 ppm
Zinc (Zn): 307 +/- 34 ppm
Iron (Fe): 430 +/- 77 ppm
Titanium (Ti): 55,200 +/- 1,300 ppm

Here’s an Amazon affiliate link to current products from this company online. (Please note I am sharing this link solely for informational purposes, and am not recommending these products in any way.)

As always, thank you for reading and for sharing this work!

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Tamara Rubin
#LeadSafeMama

Do you want me to test more masks? Chip in here in support of our independent consumer goods testing and Lead poisoning prevention advocacy work! Thank you!