Mikasa Narumi Japan “Winthrop” Fine China: 4,355 ppm Lead [90 ppm is unsafe in kids’ items.]
![Mikasa Narumi Japan "Winthrop" Fine China: 4,355 ppm Lead [90 ppm is unsafe in kids' items.]](https://tamararubin.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Mikasa-Winthrop-Fine-China-Narumi-Japan-Lead-Safe-Mama-2.jpg)
When tested with an XRF instrument this Mikasa Narumi Japan “Winthrop” Fine China plate (with silver and gray edging) had the following readings:
Silver/Gray edging of food surface of dish:
- Lead (Pb): 4,355 +/- 95 ppm
- Cadmium (Cd): Negative / Non-Detect
- Mercury (Hg: Negative / Non-Detect
- Barium (Ba): Negative / Non-Detect
- Chromium (Cr): 159 +/- 67 ppm
- Antimony (Sb): Negative / Non-Detect
- Selenium (Se): Negative / Non-Detect
- Zinc (Zn): 732 +/- 45 ppm
- Iron (Fe): 2,281 +/- 176 ppm
- Bismuth (Bi): 38 +/- 18 ppm
- Vanadium (V): 92 +/- 22 ppm
- Titanium (Ti): 223 +/- 78 ppm
- Cobalt (Co): 431 +/- 79 ppm
White center of food-surface of dish:
- Lead (Pb): Negative / Non-Detect
- Cadmium (Cd): Negative / Non-Detect
- Mercury (Hg: Negative / Non-Detect
- Barium (Ba): Negative / Non-Detect
- Chromium (Cr): Negative / Non-Detect
- Antimony (Sb): Negative / Non-Detect
- Selenium (Se): Negative / Non-Detect
- Zinc (Zn): 1,087 +/- 58 ppm
- Iron (Fe): 1,972 +/- 173 ppm
- Bismuth (Bi): 61 +/- 11 ppm
- Vanadium (V): 88 +/- 21 ppm
- Titanium (Ti): 279 +/- 37 ppm
For context the amount of Lead that is considered unsafe in newly manufactured items intended for use by children is anything 90 ppm or higher in the glaze or coating or anything 100 ppm or higher in the substrate. Dishes (modern and vintage) are not regulated for total Lead content as detectable with an XRF instrument.
All tests results are replicable and science-based. Test results reported on this website are all done with a Niton XL3T XRF instrument in “Consumer Goods” mode, for at least 60 seconds, unless otherwise noted.
To see more white china I have tested, click here.There’s a persistent myth that white china is more likely to be Lead-free, but this is simply not true.
#FunFact
Many of the “Made in Japan” pieces that I have tested that were made to be sold in the American market are positive for Lead, however a lot of the Japanese pieces I have tested (both vintage and new) that are made for the Japanese market area Lead-free. To see more “Made in Japan” pieces I have tested, click here.
Thank you for reading and for sharing my posts.
As always, please let me know if you have any questions.
Tamara Rubin
#LeadSafeMama
![Mikasa Narumi Japan "Winthrop" Fine China: 4,355 ppm Lead [90 ppm is unsafe in kids' items.]](https://tamararubin.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Mikasa-Winthrop-Fine-China-Narumi-Japan-Lead-Safe-Mama-4.jpg)
![Mikasa Narumi Japan "Winthrop" Fine China: 4,355 ppm Lead [90 ppm is unsafe in kids' items.]](https://tamararubin.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Mikasa-Winthrop-Fine-China-Narumi-Japan-Lead-Safe-Mama-3.jpg)
![Mikasa Narumi Japan "Winthrop" Fine China: 4,355 ppm Lead [90 ppm is unsafe in kids' items.]](https://tamararubin.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Mikasa-Winthrop-Fine-China-Narumi-Japan-Lead-Safe-Mama-1.jpg)
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Hello. Thank you for your excellent work regarding the safety of vintage and new fine China dinnerware. Have you by any chance come across Narumi Shasta Pine dinnerware? I’m curious to know if they are unfit for use as they are vintage. I believe the last set was produced before 1960. I have a set passed down to me and I want to be assured that they are safe to use. They are in almost new condition, no cracking, chips or crazing. I would appreciate any information you might have for me. Thanks in advance.
Hi Judith, thank you for taking the time to comment. I don’t believe I have tested that exact pattern. I have this one that has “Narumi” in the name – but it is likely not a related product since it is Mikasa: https://tamararubin.com/2019/05/mikasa-narumi-japan-winthrop-fine-china-2000-ppm-lead-90-ppm-is-unsafe-in-kids-items/ Overall you can look up dishware by pattern type (like “floral pattern”) or by country of origin (like “Made in Japan”) here on the blog and scroll through some of the ones I have tested and see if you see any similar ones. Here’s the “Made in Japan” category link as an example: https://tamararubin.com/category/made-in-japan/
You can also send me a dish for testing for a small fee in support of the work reported here on this blog. Here’s a post about that: https://tamararubin.com/2019/08/tamara-can-i-send-you-one-of-my-dishes-to-test-for-lead/
Please let me know if you have any additional questions.
Tamara
We have these dishes passed down from my husbands mother. I never thought to check the lead content. I take these are unsafe to eat off of?
Yikes.
I would not personally choose to feed my family from dishes with this level of Lead – especially in the absence of leach-testing for my specific dish set (which is cost prohibitive and costs likely as much or more than getting a new lead-free set of dishes.)
Tamara
Thank you for the good work you are doing!