Metal tin decorated with glass beads and mirrors: 138 ppm Mercury, 38 ppm Lead & 25 ppm Cadmium. Not a good fidget for kids.

Monday, October 12, 2020
Writing to you from a cabin in Maine (on a lake in the forest!)

My son bought this recently at an antique store. I thought it might be ok, so I let him buy it. I guess I was wrong. #Sigh.I used to have a whole collection of these types of things before I lost my home in a fire. I’m sort of glad I didn’t have to think about getting rid of them (or choosing to keep them and put them behind glass) with what I know now.

XRF reading over mirrors:
60-second test

• Cadmium (Cd): 14 +/- 5 ppm
• Barium (Ba): 68 +/- 28 ppm
• Silver (Ag): 26 +/- 4 ppm
• Palladium (Pd): 6 +/- 3 ppm
• Iron (Fe): 1,677 +/- 182 ppm
• Indium (In): 19 +/- 7 ppm
• Vanadium (V): 158 +/- 76 ppm
• Titanium (Ti): 322 +/- 113 ppm

XRF reading over glass beads:
30-second test

• Lead (Pb): 38 +/- 14 ppm
• Cadmium (Cd): 15 +/- 7 ppm
• Barium (Ba): 512 +/- 48 ppm
• Silver (Ag): 245 +/- 15 ppm
• Bromine (Br): 11 +/- 4 ppm
• Palladium (Pd): 12 +/- 4 ppm
• Iron (Fe): 2,372 +/- 286 ppm
• Indium (In): 21 +/- 10 ppm

XRF reading over round beads on edging:
30-second test

• Barium (Ba): 216 +/- 44 ppm
• Antimony (Sb): 35 +/- 17 ppm
• Silver (Ag): 147 +/- 12 ppm
• Platinum (Pt): 159 +/- 66 ppm
• Zinc (Zn): 57 +/- 26 ppm
• Iron (Fe): 4,536 +/- 406 ppm

Plain metal base of box
30-second test

• Cadmium (Cd): 25 +/- 9 ppm
• Mercury (Hg): 138 +/- 47 ppm
• Silver (Ag): 19 +/- 7 ppm
• Palladium (Pd): 19 +/- 6 ppm
• Platinium (Pt): 1,031 +/- 142 ppm
• Zinc (Zn): 139 +/- 40 ppm
• Nickel (Ni): 370 +/- 135 ppm
• Iron (Fe): 9,601 +/- 671 ppm
• Indium (In): 41 +/- 13 ppm
• Titanium (Ti): 909 +/- 356 ppm

Thank you for reading and for sharing my posts. As always please let me know if you have any questions. I will do my best to answer them personally when I have a moment.

Tamara Rubin
#LeadSafeMama