When tested with an XRF instrument (all accessible components tested) this Brandywine Stainless Steel Finish knob set from Home Depot (pictured here) had the following readings (with each reading done for at least 60 seconds):
Main part of Knob / Handle that you touch:
Stainless Steel # 304
Metals not detected by the XRF are not listed.
- Chromium (Cr): 162,200 +/- 1,000 ppm
- Bromine (Br): 26 +/- 12 ppm
- Tin (Sn): 148 +/- 42 ppm
- Copper (Cu): 6,074 +/- 436
- Nickel (Ni): 94,400 +/- 1,300 ppm
- Iron (Fe): 714,500 +/- 1,900 ppm
- Vanadium (V): 683 +/- 185 ppm
- Molybdenum (Mo): 2,340 +/- 113 ppm
- Cobalt (Co): 3,397 +/- 1,070 ppm
- Magnesium (Mn): 15,700 +/- 1,000 ppm
Rounded part of shaft of latch:
[Metal -Zn]
- Chromium (Cr): 2,960 +/- 417 ppm
- Zinc (Zn): 351,300 +/- 3,500 ppm
- Iron (Fe): 639,600 +/- 2,500 ppm
- Cobalt (Co): 3,736 +/- 1,189 ppm
- Magnesium (Mn): 976 +/- 445 ppm
Rectangular part of shaft of latch:
- Zinc (Zn): 429,400 +/- 5,000 ppm
- Iron (Fe): 561,400 +/- 2,500 ppm
- Cobalt (Co): 3,472 +/- 1,111 ppm
- Magnesium (Mn): 905 +/- 439 ppm
“Tongue” of latch (moving part):
- Chromium (Cr): 700 +/- 196 ppm
- Zinc (Zn): 996,700 +/- 12,000 ppm
Chromed “Collar” (that goes around tongue of latch):
- Chromium (Cr): 3,870 +/- 132 ppm
- Zinc (Zn): 295,600 +/- 2,100 ppm
- Iron (Fe): 697,100 +/- 1,800 ppm
- Vanadium (V): 140 +/- 66 ppm
- Titanium (Ti): 229 +/- 93 ppm
- Cobalt (Co): 2,042 +/- 869 ppm
- Magnesium (Mn): 653 +/- 315 ppm
As always, thank you for reading and for sharing my posts.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Tamara Rubin
#LeadSafeMama
Hello! I’m so glad I stumbled upon your website. I’m planning on updating all the door knobs in our house. I see based on your tests that stainless steel is a good option. Have you tested any stainless steel that has a finish? Trying to see if there is a correlation between black finishes and lead. Thank you!
Hi,
I found these in Home Depot and on their website (12/16/23)and both carry the prop 65 warning. I had an employee search using the bar code and the warning was on their search results as well. Mabe they put the warning on all of their products? Or they are made differently since this article was written? Anyone have any luck finding lead free door knobs?
I just checked (8/23/24) Home Depot and Elizabeth is right: Prop 65 Warning.
I think they may carry the warning just as extra caution and/or stainless steel contains nickel and chromium, which both require prop 65.
Hi Tamara, has there been any update regarding a “clean” door knob to purchase? I have several mental/health issues going on and I am appalled to find out that my brass entry door knob, that I use all the time, contains lead. I have spent a lot of time searching all the ones you did homework on, back in 2019, and these companies’ product’s look like they have changed since then. I know you are extremely busy, but I am truly desperate to find a replacement asap, and you are the only one I trust to get my information from. Thank you for taking the time to read this and I hope to hear back soon from either you or someone in your family.
One more thing, I did also spend a lot of time just trying to find a stainless steel one in general, before emailing you, but all I have been able to find are the ones that have some sort of stainless steel “finish” on them, and when you look at the specs below there are other metals involved, and most of them have a prop warning as well. I am frustrated beyond belief that companies can get away with all this lead, mercury, and cadmium stuff, and not even care! And as I write this I am crying so many tears down my face because my mental and physical health (including kidney issues) have gone even more downhill recently. Prior to your website that I’ve been looking at for several days now, I had no idea about all of this even going on, and I have eaten so many of the food products mentioned in your other articles that I “thought” were healthy (seaweed, salt, gluten free products, cassava, etc.). Thanks to you I have thrown out all of these food items and also some kitchen tools. Tomorrow I am getting the BLL blood test that you recommend. In the meantime I need to replace my brass doorknob and I am sincerely hoping you will be able to help me with that. Thank you so much for your website.
Some thin, cheaply made brass door knobs are lead free. Send me a photo and I will give you an educated guestimate about that: testing@leadsafemama.com