Posted: Tuesday, June 16, 2020
I hadn’t previously tested for / looked for Arsenic or Antimony in vintage clear glass Pyrex items. This is the first piece I have tested of vintage clear glass Pyrex where I noticed (and recorded) these two metals. I am going to do further inquiry in to this, specifically to see if this is an anomaly or if I am able to find other examples of vintage clear glass Pyrex that have tested positive Arsenic and Antimony.
Center of food surface of dish
- Arsenic (As): 866 +/- 61 ppm
- Barium (Ba): 2,284 +/- 726 ppm
- Antimony (Sb): 8,376 +/- 395 ppm
- Copper (Cu): 107 +/- 55 ppm
- Second Arsenic reading: 798 +/- 43 ppm
Tamara Rubin
#LeadSafeMama
This is concerning to me as I have several glass baking dishes/mixing bowls from my grandparents that we use regularly because I thought glass would be safe. We have one Pyrex and several FireKing, including one FireKing bowl that looks very similar to the one you tested from Pyrex.
Same here. The vintage Pyrex is also so heavy duty and don’t explode or break easily. I love them.
I have Fire-King too! So sad.
Did you remove yours from your house?
I have a feeling I’m gonna end up with no dishes, and no pots and pans either
By vintage, how old do you mean? I have a pair of small Casseroles w lid, that look very similar to these. I got them in the early 90s. Should I be concerned?
Vintage is 20 years old or older to 99 yrs, up to Antique, which is 100 yrs or older.
Me too!
Well this is concerning. I am interested in knowing too
I’m curious about this as well, although I use it in a workshop, not in home cooking.
Wondering under what circumstances these chemicals would be transferred to the body- during handling? Washing? Only hot or while heating? Only if food that has been in one is ingested?
Just seeking better understanding of what is and isn’t problematic with these. Thanks!
Now I am wondering if I should continue to use one similar to this. The only difference being my handles are wider. They are 2 & 3/4 inches long- your dish handles look about an inch(?)
The bottom says “Anchor Hocking 20 oz. Oven & Microwave safe USA 8 – 1036
I use it as a dog’s water bowl. Do you think arsenic would sleep into standing water? She’s a small dog, so would have more effect if so.
Thank you Tamara
Me, too. Using these and the soup bowls from the same era for dog and cat???? I am letting this one go. 6 of them. Are lids bad, too?
I would be interested in donating to you my clear Pyrex casseroles, and pie plates, if you would like them to check against the casserole in this article. They are from the 1930s-1950s. I also have clear Westinghouse baking dishes 1940s era if you would like to check them. I am in Oregon also, maybe we could arrange to meet instead of shipping? Thank you for all you do!
Thank you Katrina. I will be on the road until at least October 1st – but check back with me in October and that might work out.
Tamara
Hi Tamara, curious what your schedule is these days. I still have the 1930-1950s clear glass baking dishes earlier referenced if you are interested in testing them. Thank you for all you do!
Tamara, I have clear PYREX 019 but says 600 ml.
Also, clear PYREX, SAYS 022, 1 QT-1L with a number 29 under all writing.
Are these safe?
Please let me know! Thank you.
I am thinking of buying pyrex cookware from the 1980’s should i be concerened. Trying to get away from stainless. Have you tested the pyrex stovetop cookware.
I use the small 10 oz version of these for my small dog’s water and food bowls. I would be interested in any follow up testing. I was trying to avoid stainless and thought the glass was safe 🙁
I’m also interested in any follow-up on the clear Pyrex. I have a lot of it from my grandmother, and would love to know more.
I have a 3 piece Pyrex mixing bowl set that are clear faintly colored glass, pink green & blue. I don’t know for sure how old they are. I bought them at a yard sale probably 20 years or more ago. I’ve been using them because I thought they were safe because they have no painting on them. Do you know if this type of Pyrex glass contains harmful metals? I have 2 young grandsons (2 & 4) that I enjoy cooking for & would really appreciate knowing if I need to get rid of these for their safety. Thank you so much for the work you do to help make our homes safer.
Hi Sandra – I don’t think I have tested those. The vintage clear Pyrex that has high levels of Arsenic is much older than that I think (probably closer to 40 years old.)
I did just find this Anchor Hocking 10-bowl set for under $23.00 (on sale today!) – aflink: https://amzn.to/3lAgYpn
It’s a pretty inexpensive option to be 100% certain!
Tamara
The reviews on the Anchor Hocking set are not good. Several reviews tell of receiving with cracks and broken even before use and others say the cracked after one month of use.
I’m really having problems finding safe products that are durable and available. Dinnerware and cookware…
Oh wow… I used to have one very similar…. if not identical. Thank you for all you do!
I am in the midst of getting rid of a patterned pyrex collection, and a bit dismayed to see the clear is testing for heavy metals as well. Have you by chance tested any of the federal glass refrigerator dishes? I’d thought clear glass was a safe bet, but now I’m concerned.
Have to run more tests on clear dishes? I like others in the comments above thought clear dishes would be safe. I am concerned since I have a one year old son and just inherited a ton of clear glass cookware (along with patterned pyrex that we will definitely not be using). I had hopes to keep the clear glass.
Is new pyrex usually ok? Mine has a slight green tint around the rim (purchased at target).
Have you ever tested the Pyrex rectangular baking dishes or round covered stock pots that have a brown tint in the glass? There are no other paintings or markings. Thanks so much!
This is what I was wondering too. The 9×13 or 8×8 brown tinted pyrex c.1997 or so.
Me too. Have brown round glass casserole dish. Also clear 8 x 8!
Hello there,
Is it likely that the arsenic has always been in the pyrex or could it be that it appears with age as some sort of chemical reaction? It is always seen as the healthy option – is arsenic responsible for Alzheimer’s – my grandma was a prolific cook and baker (no such thing as processed in those days) and she had a set of the white / pale blue oven dishes and bowls and plates in the Chelsea design that were from the 1950s that were used day in day out – how worrying. My mum had the ones with the vegetable patterns from the 1960s when she got married…she now has dementia too
When you say 40 years ago, that is only 1980…so it doesn’t feel so long ago to me!
There is a physician, I believe retired that talks about cookware and the link to dementia and Alzheimer’s, from toxins in a lot of cookware particulary non stick and older cookware. I changed everything out. I do use the vintage mixing bowls, was but not after reading this today!
🙂
I am a new mom of a little girl and I cook every meal with an amber set of stove top pots and pans one is vision Corning made in the usa, then vision Corning made in France and the lid is capital Pyrex.
I also have amber capital PYREX casserole dishes made in the UK, England and US and some serving wear that is solid white (milk glass..?) PYREX made in the US.
I Use all these almost everyday and i don’t know if i need to get all new cook and severing wear or not, any guidance would be greatly appreciated
Arsenic appears naturally in our environment (it’s naturally occurring in soil and is taken up in plants). Since it was found in high concentrations in rice, it is now suggested that we rinse our rice before cooking. Have you researched at what level arsenic in food is dangerous? I know it is poisonous, but at what concentration? And does it end up in the food cooked in these items with arsenic? Your swipe test indicates the concentration of arsenic in the item but what concentration ends up in the food? Would you not need to test the cooked food to determine the concentration in the cooked food?
This is not a “swipe test” (I don’t know what you mean by a “swipe test”) this is testing using XRF technology – which is a scientific testing methodology used by the Consumer Product Safety Commission to test for toxicants (heavy metals) in consumer goods.
Arsenic in consumer goods is measured in parts per million.
Arsenic in food is measured in parts per billion. Here’s an article that discusses Arsenic in food:
https://tamararubin.com/2024/03/lead-safe-mama-llc-tested-baby-foods-one-clean-label-project-purity-award-recipient-tested-positive-for-lead-mercury-cadmium-arsenic/
Tamara
I am aware of the difference between ppm and ppb. I dealt with lab results for groundwater sampling for decades. The most important part of my question was what part of the arsenic ends up in the food. You haven’t answered that question.
That’s not within the scope of my research – but I encourage others to follow up on my findings with additional research. I don’t have a lab for testing that sort of impact. Since most consumers also do not have access to laboratory testing (which is very expensive) it is best to avoid toxicant-containing vintage cookware.
T
Hi Tamara, I’m wondering how I should read these numbers: Arsenic (As): 866 +/- 61 ppm. Does that mean the test showed 866 with a plus or minus error of 61ppm, or something else entirely?
Thanks.
That is correct.
T
I mistakingly mixed my 20+ year old clear pyrex storage containers with new ones purchased this year. Is there any way to tell the difference?
Thank you!
Soooo grateful for your work!
20 years old should be lead and arsenic free… 30 to 50 years things get a little murkier.
T
How do we know how old they are? I’m 73. Don’t remember how long ago I got these! Some may have bought and others got from my Mom now long gone.
Can I send you an antique Pyrex Evenflo bottle for testing? I’m curious to see how safe/unsafe these glass baby bottles were.