Calacatta Gold Polished Marble tile from tilebar: non-detect (negative) for Lead, Cadmium, Mercury and Arsenic

When tested with an XRF instrument, the tile pictured here had the following readings (metals not listed were not detected, tests were done for a minimum of 60 seconds):

• Iron (Fe): 2,195 +/- 259 ppm
• Titanium (Ti): 428 +/- 85 ppm

Please note that new, modern tile is currently NOT REGULATED for total Lead content (nor for other toxicants), and you can not make assumptions like “it’s new, so it should be Lead-free.” That said, manufacturers are getting smart – using less Lead, and making their manufacturing processes more transparent – so it is always possible to make an inquiry with the manufacturer about the presence or absence of toxicants like Lead, Mercury, Cadmium and Arsenic (depending on the manufacture or vendor, they may or may not know, but it’s worth a call).

Please note: In my experience, man-made items – manufactured glass and ceramic tiles – are likely to have at least some Lead. Natural materials (stone, marble, slate), on the other hand, are unlikely to test positive for any heavy metals.

As always, thank you for reading and for sharing my posts.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Tamara Rubin
#LeadSafeMama