When tested with an XRF instrument this terrifying tiny pewter pig (with zombie devil eyes!) is shown to be terrifying in more ways than one!
- Lead (Pb): 16,700 +/- 800 ppm
- Antimony (Sb): 80,900 +/- 1,600 ppm
- Tin (Sb): 882,300 +/- 3,900 ppm
- Copper (Cu): 13,800 +/- 1,200 ppm
- Titanium (Ti): 5,354 +/- 369 ppm
How is this terrifying? Let me count the ways…
- The amount of Lead that is considered toxic in an item intended for children to play with is anything 90 ppm Lead or higher. This has more than 16,000 ppm Lead!
- Children actively play with tiny figurines like this and the toxic heavy metals can wear off on to their hands since it is not coated in any way.
- Very young children might put something like this in their mouth which – if swallowed – could cause them to be acutely Lead poisoned and die.
- Even just mouthing something like this (without swallowing it) is enough to cause acute Lead poisoning in a young child.
- Even if a child doesn’t put something like this in their mouth they may carry it around with them as a fidget (rubbing it in their pocket) and this is an extremely concerning possibility as the toxicants will wear off on their hands [and then, for example – what happens when they go to eat an apple or a granola bar without washing their hands first?]
- People who make figurines like this are also likely poisoning themselves.
Is that enough ways that this is terrifying?
As always, please let me know if you have any questions! And PLEASE don’t let your children play with figurines like this! Even pieces marked and sold as “Lead free pewter” often still have high levels of Lead (and usually have extremely high levels of Antimony!)
Tamara Rubin
#LeadSafeMama 
Have you ever tested Mattel Hot Wheels? – metal painted cars for kids? Current and older ones? My grandsons are obsessed with them. They are made in China. I often worry about these 99 cent toys and the quality of the metal paint.
Hi Bonnie – I have tested thousands of them. There are many examples here on the blog…. just put “Hotwheels” or “Mattel” or “Toy Car” in the search bar on any page of the website.
Here’s the “Matchbox” category for starters: https://tamararubin.com/category/matchbox/
You can also click on the keywords at the top of any of the posts to find more posts with that keyword.
Tamara
I would never have anything with lead around children. When mine were little, I put away all our pewter and lead objects until the youngest child was a teen and able to understand and heed the dangers. Now that I have grandkids I’ve put everything away again.
What about adults? My pewter and lead is strictly decorative, doesn’t touch food or drink, and is only handled occasionally. Under those conditions, how readily will lead absorb through skin?