For those new to the Lead Safe Mama 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 four sons were acutely Lead-poisoned in 2005).
- Tamara owns and runs Lead Safe Mama, LLC — a unique community collaborative woman-owned small business for childhood Lead poisoning prevention and consumer goods safety.
- Since 2009, Tamara has been conducting XRF testing (a scientific testing method) using the exact instrumentation employed by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission to test consumer goods for toxicants (specifically heavy metals — including Lead, Cadmium, Mercury, Antimony, and Arsenic).
- Since July of 2022, the work of Lead Safe Mama, LLC has been responsible for 5 product recalls (FDA and CPSC).
- All test results reported on this website are science-based, accurate, and replicable.
- Items that Lead Safe Mama, LLC reports on are tested multiple times to confirm the results published (for each component tested).
- Recent notable press… There has been too much to mention already in 2024! Please check out our press page to see some of the amazing coverage of our work so far this year!
Galvanized Napkin Ring
From Target’s Hearth & Hand With Magnolia
by Chip & Joanna Gaines:
591 ppm Lead
Related: #AskTamara: What do you use to test for Lead?
This is another piece from the Hearth & Hand with Magnolia collection on Target’s website.
Galvanized metal (or metal that has a “galvanized look”) is almost always positive for high levels of Lead. The only exception I have seen to this rule are the “galvanized look” items sold by Ikea.
As a result, I anticipated this napkin ring would be positive for at least some amount of Lead.
The XRF test results for the napkin ring pictured here were as follows (each test completed was at least 60 seconds long and multiple tests were performed on each component to confirm the levels):
Galvanized Silver-Colored Main Metal:
- Lead (Pb): 339 +/- 122 ppm
- Cadmium (Cd): Non-Detect (ND)/ Negative
- Arsenic (As): Non-Detect (ND)/ Negative
- Mercury (Hg): Non-Detect (ND)/ Negative
- Barium (Ba): Non-Detect (ND)/ Negative
- Chromium (Cr): 588 +/- 120 ppm
- Antimony (Sb): Non-Detect (ND)/ Negative
- Selenium (Se): Non-Detect (ND)/ Negative
- Zinc (Zn): 740,500 +/- 7,900 ppm
- Copper (Cu): Non-Detect (ND)/ Negative
- Iron (Fe): 252,300 +/- 2,800 ppm
- Vandium (V): Non-Detect (ND)/ Negative
- Titanium (Ti): Non-Detect (ND)/ Negative
- Zirconium (Zr): Non-Detect (ND)/ Negative
- Cobalt (Co): 5,246 +/- 829 ppm
- Magnesium (Mn): Non-Detect (ND)/ Negative
NOTE: Compared to other similar items I have tested, this is a fairly low level of Lead to find in galvanized metal. For example, the duct work in most homes with forced air heating systems, if often made of galvanized metal and ductwork metal, is usually positive for Lead at levels between 10,000 ppm and 30,000 ppm.
Click HERE for a link to some other galvanized items I have tested.
Golden-Colored Accents:
In testing the gold part, since it is thinner than the scope of the XRF instrument, some of the silver-colored parts of the metal are included in this reading.
- Lead (Pb): 591 +/- 149 ppm
- Cadmium (Cd): Non-Detect (ND)/ Negative
- Arsenic (As): Non-Detect (ND)/ Negative
- Mercury (Hg): Non-Detect (ND)/ Negative
- Barium (Ba): Non-Detect (ND)/ Negative
- Chromium (Cr): 588 +/- 120 ppm
- Antimony (Sb): Non-Detect (ND)/ Negative
- Selenium (Se): Non-Detect (ND)/ Negative
- Tin (Sn): 337 +/- 109 ppm
- Zinc (Zn): 400,800 +/- 2,700 ppm
- Copper (Cu): 577,600 +/- 3,100 ppm
- Nickel (Ni): 789 +/- 193 ppm
- Iron (Fe): 18,200 +/- 700 ppm
- Vandium (V): Non-Detect (ND)/ Negative
- Titanium (Ti): Non-Detect (ND)/ Negative
- Zirconium (Zr): Non-Detect (ND)/ Negative
- Cobalt (Co): Non-Detect (ND)/ Negative
- Magnesium (Mn): Non-Detect (ND)/ Negative
While I would never use these in my home (especially given galvanized metal almost always also tests positive with a reactive agent testing method — like a LeadCheck swab*), I have more of a concern with the galvanized “chargers” from this same collection (see image below).
I have not tested these chargers yet, but they appear to be made of exactly the same materials as the napkin ring.
The problem with the charger is that while its INTENDED use is to go UNDER a plate (as the base of a place setting, for decorative purposes), the very nature of it looking like a plate lends it to possible misuse as a plate or serving platter that people might use to put food directly on for serving.
This is a significant problem with Lead levels as high as I found on this napkin ring for the following reasons:
- It’s possible to have quite a variation of Lead levels in galvanized items (so the charger levels might even be higher than what I found the napkin ring).
- Galvanized items often test positive with a reactive agent test — (indicating the Lead could potentially wear off onto any food placed on the surface of the charger).
As soon as someone chips in enough so I can purchase one of these chargers, I will order one shipped to me and test that as well to confirm the levels.
As always, thank you for reading and sharing this work.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Tamara Rubin
#LeadSafeMama
To see more ceramic items Lead Safe Mama has tested, click here.
To read more about my concern for Lead in pottery and dishware, click here.
*Amazon links are affiliate links. If you purchase something after clicking on one of our links, Lead safe mama, LLC will receive a small percentage of what you spend at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting our advocacy work in this way. 
Do you notify Magnolia (Chip & Joanna Gaines) & Pioneer Woman of your findings? If you don’t tell them, I will.
Go for it! I would love help with that. I think Mike at Safer Chemicals is also going to talk to Target. Thank you.
I’ve written to Target as well. They claim that they follow Prop 65 IN CALIFORNIA – but I asked their customer serivce : Does that mean you simply do not care about the rest of us in the United States? I understand California is very strict — and not all people around the country worry or care (!) but if it’s lead and cadmium and arsenic then everyone should be protected — Karen I would love to hear what their response is. Now I’m happy I wrote, perhaps if more of us write to Target, etc. about how we would like them to finally start acting responsively to protect their customers and especially their children, MAYBE IN THIS EARLY PART of a new Century we can make some changes take place. dsl
You mentioned that “galvanized look” items from Ikea are safe. What about actual galvanized steel kitchen towel holder from IKEA?
Thank you. I was told trace amounts with galvanized steel sheet and obviously it would be much more. I wish testing was readily available over here in the uk but it isnt .