Introduction (for those new to this website):

Tamara Rubin is an independent advocate for consumer goods safety. She is also a mother of Lead-poisoned children. She began testing consumer goods for toxicants in 2009 and was the parent-advocate responsible for finding Lead in the popular fidget spinner toys in 2017. Tamara uses XRF testing (a scientific method used by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission) to test consumer goods for metallic toxicants, including Lead, Cadmium, Mercury and Arsenic.

When the toy pictured here was tested with an XRF instrument it had the following readings:

Green Flexibear Bear – 60 seconds

Lead (Pb): 898 +/- 21 ppm
Arsenic (As): 80 +/- 15 ppm
Chromium (Cr): 319 +/- 44 ppm
Zinc (Zn): 32 +/- 6 ppm
Copper (Cu): 137 +/- 13 ppm
Iron (Fe): 28 +/- 14 ppm
Titanium (Ti): 1,154 +/- 203 ppm

Continue reading below the image.

Red Flexiblock Block – 60 seconds

Barium (Ba): 436 +/- 80 ppm
Zinc (Zn): 78 +/- 7 ppm
Copper (Cu): 23 +/- 8 ppm
Iron (Fe): 31 +/- 13 ppm
Titanium (Ti): 623 +/- 186 ppm

Continue reading below the image.

Blue Flexiblock Block – 60 seconds

Barium (Ba): 215 +/- 78 ppm
Zinc (Zn): 14 +/- 5 ppm
Copper (Cu): 23 +/- 8 ppm

Continue reading below the image.

Green Flexiblock Block – 60 seconds

Lead (Pb): 1,735 +/- 29 ppm
Arsenic (As): 98 +/- 19 ppm
Barium (Ba): 140 +/- 77 ppm
Chromium (Cr): 278 +/- 40 ppm
Zinc (Zn): 261 +/- 11 ppm
Copper (Cu): 116 +/- 11 ppm
Titanium (Ti): 620 +/- 176 ppm

These pieces are discussed in detail on this video – link here.

XRF testing was done for a minimum of 60 seconds per component, and repeated multiple times to confirm the results. Results are science based, accurate, and replicable.

How much Lead is “too much” Lead?

The amount of Lead that is considered unsafe – and illegal – in a modern / newly-manufactured item intended “for use by children” today is anything 90 ppm Lead or higher in the paint / glaze or coating, and anything 100 ppm Lead or higher in the substrate. Antiques (and most vintage items) are not governed by any regulatory standards around their toxicant-profiles (as – in most cases – none existed at the time of their manufacture). If this were manufactured for sale today it would be definitely be considered illegal.

I may update this post with more information shortly, but just wanted to start by making sure the XRF readings were up online.

Thank you for reading and for sharing my posts!

Tamara Rubin
#LeadSafeMama