Click to see all the links to pieces I’ve written about Mexican pottery: Bowls, tile, cups, plates (with XRF test results)

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).

Introduction

For each article I write, there are category keyword tabs at the top of the page. Each of those words is a link to the category, and you can get to that category overview (to see all of the articles in that category) anytime, by clicking on any of those words. I am working on writing summary pieces for each category (like this one), so readers will be able to see all articles we’ve written for some of the more popular categories on LeadSafeMama.com, easily (at a glance). This is my first attempt at this, so feedback is welcome. Please let me know if these summary pieces are helpful. Thank you!

And without further ado… the articles discussing Mexican pottery (each numbered line below is a link to an article with photos and more information, including — in most pieces — XRF test results for the item discussed):

1. “Lead Free” Mexican pottery (video)
2. Blue and yellow Mexican tile: 25,800 ppm Lead
3. Red, blue, and yellow Mexican tile: 28,500 ppm Lead
4. Green, blue, and yellow Mexican tile: 57,900 ppm Lead
5. Green, yellow, and orange Mexican tile: 46,200 ppm Lead
6. Orange and white Mexican tile: 74,000 ppm Lead
7. Green, red, yellow, and blue Mexican tile: 49,100 ppm Lead
8. Glazed ceramic Mexican bowl: 11,300 ppm Lead
9. Glazed ceramic mug from Cuernavaca, Mexico: 86,600 ppm Lead
10. Rancho Gordo Tehuacan unglazed clay bean pot from Puebla, Mexico: Lead-Free
11. Vintage Mexican clear glazed ceramic mug: 79,100 ppm Lead
12. Vintage Mexican clear glazed ceramic mug with blue and green floral decoration: 122,200 ppm Lead
13. Blue and white glazed shallow ceramic soup bowl (Made in Mexico): 50,500 ppm Lead
14. Light blue and gray glazed Mexican ceramic bowl with bird decoration: 39,596 ppm Lead + 25,137 ppm Arsenic + more than 100,000 ppm Mercury
15. Green and white glazed ceramic plate: 554,400 ppm Lead (more than 50%!)
16. Blue and white “Made in Mexico” glazed ceramic plate: 95,000 ppm Lead
17. Green glazed ceramic serving bowl marked “Lead Free” and “Made in Mexico”: 300,000 ppm Lead
18. Light blue and gray glazed Mexican ceramic dish with bird decoration: 51,608 ppm Lead + 31,350 ppm Arsenic + more than 100,000 ppm Mercury

As always, thank you for reading.

Thank you for being here, and thank you for sharing this work!

Tamara Rubin
#LeadSafeMama