Is your kitty litter Leaded? If it’s Arm & Hammer Super Scoop Fragrance-Free Clumping Litter, it may be! 20 +/- 7 ppm Lead
I have linked images to the brand of kitty litter mentioned in this piece. My linking to them does NOT constitute a recommendation, but has been done so you can see the product “in the wild” on Amazon. I do NOT recommend buying this product under any circumstances.
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). All test results reported on this website are science-based, accurate, and replicable. Items are tested multiple times to confirm the test results for each component tested. Tamara’s work was featured in Consumer Reports Magazine in February of 2023 (March 2023 print edition).
Below is the XRF test result summary for Arm & Hammer Super Scoop Fragrance-Free Clumping Litter (purchased in January 2019):
- Lead (Pb): 15 +/- 6 ppm
- Barium (Ba): 109 +/- 28 ppm
- Zinc (Zn): 49 +/- 11 ppm
- Iron (Fe): 21,300 +/- 500 ppm
- Bismuth (Bi): 23 +/- 6 ppm
- Vanadium (V): 210 +/- 23 ppm
- Titanium (Ti): 480 +/- 37 ppm
- Platinum (Pt): 69 +/- 25 ppm
- Magnesium (Mn): 551 +/- 130 ppm
Lead Safe Mama, LLC tested this litter sample (sent in by a reader) twice for a minimum of 180 seconds each test (3 minutes) to confirm the levels. The results for the first test are above, and the Lead reading for the second test was comparable, coming in at:
- Lead (Pb): 20 +/- 7 ppm
I would not use any kitty litter that tests positive for any amount of Lead. A Lead dust hazard can be toxic at levels below what is detectable with an XRF instrument. The fact that this is a Lead positive, high-dust product is actually more concerning than (for example) a dish or other kitchen item that might be positive for Lead in the glaze, but is not creating dust. You can read more about that concern by clicking this link.
Here’s an affiliate link to a Lead-free kitty litter option (a brand I have tested and found to be Lead-free and would anticipate being Lead-free in the future) on Amazon: LINK.
To see more kitty litter brands I have tested, click HERE.
As always, thank you for reading and sharing this work.
Please let me know if you have any questions at all.
Tamara Rubin
#LeadSafeMama
*Amazon links are affiliate links. If you purchase something after clicking on one of our links, Lead Safe Mama, LLC may receive a small percentage of what you spend at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting our advocacy work in this way. (I have linked the images in this piece to the brand of kitty litter mentioned in the post. Linking out to these brands does NOT constitute a recommendation, but has been done so you can see the product “in the wild” on Amazon.)
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I use this one and it says it’s Dust-free, dye-freeand scent-free, 100% natural,
mineral-based silica. I hope it’s good! https://kittypooclub.com/
And that’s been creating loads of dust in our laundry room for AGES. As in, YEARS. My god. How on earth do I clean it up?
I need to get my kids tested.
Hi Sabrina,
I think if you have been using a kitty litter like this for a while it would be worth getting your family (and your kitty) tested.
I would clean anything that is dusty from the kitty little with warm water and soap – and ideally with disposable rags or Clorox wipes, you can see a little video with me doing that here: https://tamararubin.com/2017/05/clorox/
Ironically – I recommend that brand’s products for laundry – but not for kitty litter: https://tamararubin.com/2017/12/detergent/
Tamara
Tamara
How can the dust level be higher than what is directly tested in the actual litter? What would you imagine the dust level in ppm would be? Also is it dangerous for my son to play with the cats that use this litter? He doesn’t live in a house that has cats but he visits the grandparents house that uses cheap litter about once a week. (Sometimes less.)
Hi Becca, please read the post linked below.
Dust levels are not measured in ppm.
The amount of lead in dust that is considered toxic is too small to be measured with an XRF instrument.
The fact that this is a dusty product that is positive for lead EVEN WITH an XRF instrument (at levels high enough to be detected by an XRF instrument) is quite concerning because that will likely result in very high dust levels in a home.
Dust levels in a home are measured in micrograms of lead in dust per square foot.
Here’s my post with more information about that: https://tamararubin.com/2019/03/the-sugar-packet-analogy-how-much-lead-dust-does-it-take-to-poison-a-child/
Tamara
I have specific concerns for the cats that use this type of litter. I expect that a higher level of incidence of kidney failure and death by kidney complications would be seen if the cats who use this type of litter are tested.
Children who play with cats who use this litter can also be exposed to unsafe levels of lead, plus the cats can track unsafe levels of lead in the dust around the house on their paws.
Given cats lick their paws – I think it is more likely to impact the cats than the children, but read this post too to see more about the concern for children: https://tamararubin.com/2018/12/question-does-kitty-litter-have-lead-answer-yes-it-may-and-if-it-does-its-a-big-problem-heres-why/
Tamara
OMG!!! Tamara,does Baking soda of Arm&Hammer also contain lead??? I use it to wash dishes for my baby… And also use it instead of antiperspirant…I’m shocked as I breastfeed my son. This is like a nightmare(((
It’s the clay in the litter I think. The baking soda is not the concern here.
Correct
Has Purina Tidy Cats free & clean unscented litter been tested? Both regular and light weight. Thank you.
That is a clay-based litter so you could just assume it has some amount of lead. I avoid clay based litter and silica (not because of lead) litter. I tried a few litters (wood, walnut shell, wheat, etc) and my cat accepted sWheat Scoop the best.
When we first brought our kittens home in November, I got a clumping litter because that’s all I’d ever known. But our girls got an upper respiratory infection, so a Facebook group suggested pine pellets. It’s been a learning curve, but it smells better, and now I find out this!! Boy am I glad we made the switch early, my daughter loves her kitties and that cuddle every day!
Just seeing this and… I’m so concerned for our 1 year old. Getting us all tested and hoping at least she is ok.. but, based on this info… I’m so terrified.
Getting a blood Lead test is a good idea, especially if your baby has not had one yet or has not had one recently. Watching my documentary film will be helpful context for the issue (it is a crash course for those new to discovering this concern).
https://tamararubin.com/2023/01/a-link-to-my-film/
You should also read this article before your blood lead tests:
https://tamararubin.com/2019/02/blood-lead-testing-please-get-everyone-in-the-family-tested-since-you-have-been-living-in-a-house-with-high-lead-paint/
T
The litter you shared an Amazon link to is a corn based litter. Wouldn’t that be opening up a whole different can of worms as ALL corn (except organic) is going to have been sprayed with all sorts of chemicals, including glyphosate. Those residues stick around so then are getting on paws and licked off, as well as tracked around the house. I’m wondering if you’ve tested other litter brands and is it safe to assume that ALL clay litters will have lead?
Hi – I test things sent in by readers primarily. https://tamararubin.com/2019/08/can-i-send-in-one-of-my-dishes-or-other-items-to-test-for-lead-yes-maybe-but-read-this-first-thanks/