When tested with an XRF instrument this vintage recorder (musical instrument) had the following readings:
This is the reading with the XRF analyzer window focused on the gold of the Yamaha logo:
- Lead (Pb): 6,662+/- 282 ppm
- Cadmium (Cd): 4,737 +/-192 ppm
- Mercury (Hg): 1,572 +/- 107 ppm
This is the reading of the brown plastic alone:
- Lead (Pb): 5,365 +/- 195 ppm
The man who owns this instrument is the exact same age as me. I have a distinct childhood memory of having this very same recorder for 4th grade music class. (And these were going in our mouths! With this crazy high lead level! #Gah!)
Do you remember having this recorder too? If so, please leave a comment with your story.
As always, please let me know if you have any questions.
Thank you for reading and for sharing my posts.
This is crazy! And I wonder if any schools still use these old ones?
I know people can search your blog to find answers, but I’d love if you had a sentence or two in every article simply explaining that lead chalks out of plastic and can leach through skin, even if you’re not putting it in your mouth, and maybe the links to side effects in children and adults so people understand what to look for or that symptoms seem so common and they might just go get blood lead levels drawn. You need an infograph! Lol
Thank you so much for posting this! My daughter has been using my old one (just like the one pictured!) all this year. I’m sick to my stomach now but so glad I know. I will get her a new one but I wonder about those. ugh!
My whole class played those in 3rd, 4th and 5th grades, which would have been 1978-1981. My husband played them in school too. I now question the flute style recorder that I still have.
Hi Zoey! Me too! I remember these exact recorders from 3rd and 4th grade! We must be about the same age – LOL!
Tamara
I have a Suzuki one from when I was in 4th grade (1985? 86?) that my son has been playing with. Any reading on that brand?
Thank you for posting this!
What about other instruments?
In Particular, have you tested an Artley Flute?
Mine seems heavy and it makes me wonder if they added a little weight to the silver for it to seem of more value.
I bought it at a pawn shop around 1999/2000.
Thank you again for your work.
Have you tested any new recorders? I would like to purchase one for my kiddos and am looking for recommendations for a safe one. Thanks!
I had exactly the same Yamaha recorder – my first ever. It was bought during the autumn term 1977: I wanted a Dolmetsch recorder (brown with a white mouthpiece), like the school-owned ones that the kids in the recorder group played. My parents “knew better” and thought the Yamaha looked better.
I would love to hear if there are any safe recorders out now, too. The one I bought last year has a Prop 65 warning on it, so we never used it.
Are there any safe ones?.My kiddo came home from school today saying they got to play them in music. Would prefer to purchase one I know is safe.
Thank you
New ones should be safe for children (manufactured after 2011).
T
Thank you!