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). Tamara’s work was featured in Consumer Reports Magazine in February 2023 (March 2023 print edition).
When tested with an XRF instrument, the red jingle bell/ Christmas bell pictured here (purchased new in 2018) had the following readings:
- Chromium (Cr): 644 +/- 52 ppm
- Bromine (Br): 21+/- 9 ppm
- Iron (Fe): 994,600 +/- 305 ppm
- Manganese (Mn): 3,728 +/- 305 ppm
- Non-detect/ Negative for: Lead, Cadmium, Mercury, Arsenic, Antimony, Selenium, Barium (with a 180-second/ 3-minute reading).
Tests were conducted multiple times to confirm the readings. Only accessible components were tested (the little thing rolling around on the inside of the bell was not tested). Results are science-based, accurate, and replicable.
Some additional reading:
- More bells I have tested
- More jingle bells I have tested
- More Dollar Store items I have tested
- More Christmas decorations I have tested
Thank you for reading and for sharing about this work.
As always, please let me know if you have any questions.
Tamara Rubin
#LeadSafeMama
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