Introduction (for those new to this website):
Tamara Rubin is a federal-award-winning independent advocate for consumer goods safety and a documentary filmmaker. She is also a mother of Lead-poisoned children, her sons were acutely Lead-poisoned in 2005. Since 2009 Tamara has been using XRF testing (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. All test results reported on this website are science-based, accurate, and replicable. Items are tested multiple times, to confirm the test results for each component. Tamara’s work was featured in Consumer Reports Magazine in February of 2023.
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What is Lead Safe Mama, LLC
Updated: November 2023
Lead Safe Mama, LLC is a woman-owned small business working as an environmental advocacy organization focused on childhood Lead-poisoning prevention and advocating for the identification and elimination of metallic toxicants (Lead, Mercury, Cadmium, Arsenic, and Antimony), which are currently still routinely found in our homes, schools, and environments — both in our consumer goods and the buildings themselves.
#1) Lead Safe Mama, LLC depends on collaboration
Lead Safe Mama, LLC has a very unusual business model, based on a foundation of collaboration with the public. The work we do is both dictated by our readers and social media followers and is also funded by these same people (friends, followers, subscribers, readers).
#2) What activities does Lead Safe Mama, LLC engage in to accomplish your goals?
- PRODUCT TESTING: Testing (using XRF technology and other scientifically-replicable testing methodologies), analysis, and reporting on the test results of newly-manufactured, antique, and vintage consumer goods commonly found in our homes, schools, and environments.
- CORPORATE ACCOUNTABILITY: Working to hold corporations accountable for the production of modern and legacy consumer goods that test positive for toxicants (especially when non-toxic materials are readily-available alternatives for the same applications). This includes reporting regulatory violations to appropriate regulatory agencies.
- PUBLISHING ARTICLES: Writing about the above consumer goods toxicant test results on the Lead Safe Mama website (as well as writing about other issues related to childhood Lead-poisoning prevention and consumer goods safety, and creating and publishing written resources and guides for families who are dealing with the impacts of a child’s poisoning).
- VIDEO PRODUCTION: Producing and publishing films and videos for childhood Lead poisoning prevention education and awareness— from short YouTube videos (and videos published on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, etc.) to our “10 Minutes With Tamara Video Series” to our documentary feature filmMisLEAD: America’s Secret Epidemic (with all videos on childhood Lead-poisoning prevention, consumer goods safety, and encouraging civic engagement in environmental activism). We are also working on developing a YouTube based (reality T.V. style) program for which we plan to film some of our in person healthy home consultations.
- PUBLIC OUTREACH EVENTS: Coordinating and participating in public outreach events and speaking engagements — normally sponsored by hospitals, schools, universities/colleges, city, state, county health departments, or local businesses. We have also done many speaking engagements for government organizations — including the EPA, and often our presentations are set up so that attendees [doctors, nurses, childcare providers, contractors, and others] can earn Continuing Education Credits (CEUs) from their state certification programs for attending and participating in our presentations.
- CONSULTING: One-on-one, in-person home consultations with families (families of Lead poisoned children and families working to protect their children from possible future Lead exposure); consulting with businesses on product development, or working with attorneys on toxicant-related cases, and Zoom consults/phone consults with groups and families.
- GUEST TEACHING CLASSES: To date, we have guest-taught classes for students ranging from pre-K and elementary school to students in high school, college / universities (including speaking engagements at Stanford University, Portland State University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T), Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU), Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, and Berklee College of Music!). We have also done guest speaking (and served as a keynote speaker) for vocational training and certification programs (related to childhood Lead poisoning prevention — including certification programs with the State of New Hampshire Department of Public Health), and national conferences for childhood Lead-poisoning prevention.
- SAFER CHOICES: Recommending safer (less-toxic) product choices to readers of this website (and followers on our social media channels) who seek out this information.
- BOOKS: Completing two books on the subject of childhood Lead-poisoning prevention and consumer goods toxicity.
- PRESS: Supporting journalists: While we often do interviews directly (for articles, video pieces (YouTube, Television News & Social Media) and podcasts) we frequently work (behind the scenes) with journalists writing articles (or producing television news segments) about childhood Lead poisoning. We often connect journalists with families of Lead poisoned children so they can highlight compelling true stories in their articles.
#3) How does Lead Safe Mama, LLC earn income?
Numbers below reflect earnings ratios through December 31, 2022. These numbers are updated here in January of each year (to reflect the previous year.) Lead Safe Mama, LLC earns income through the following activities:
- Advertising income: on the website (through a contract with MediaVine) — about 35%
- Affiliate income: from links to products being sold on Amazon — about 20%
- Consulting income: from working with individuals and corporations (phone consultations/zoom consultations; in-person consultations — including work advising manufacturers and retailers about their product development/product choices, and advising attorneys in relevant legal cases) — about 15%
- Outreach event fees: outreach events (sponsored by/ paid for by a host, and normally free for attendees/ open to the public) — Less than 10%
- Donations: from readers, friends, and followers (including donations from businesses) — less than 5%
- Affiliate income: from select (vetted and invited) corporate sponsors (current affiliates include only the following companies: Naturepedic, Solidteknics) — Less than 5%,
- Direct corporate advertising sponsorships: 10 to 20%
#4) Why does Lead Safe Mama, LLC periodically request donations from readers in support of the work?
Until the work of Lead Safe Mama, LLC is fully funded by income earned from the work we do (see below), we still need to rely on financial contributions from our readers, friends, fans, and followers to make ends meet (covering the cost of the work we do here). While some Lead Safe Mama, LLC activities are “fee for service” (consulting, outreach events, etc.), every day we also continue to provide free assistance to families around the world when they cannot afford to pay for services. All of the information here on the Lead Safe Mama website (nearly 4,000 posts and pages) continues to be freely available (not requiring a subscription/ behind a paywall). Contributions — made by others in the community who have the means to do so (and who appreciate this work or who have personally benefitted from this work) — make it possible for us to continue helping families without charging for access to this information (so we do not need to host all or some of our information behind a paywall/ only available through a subscription service — as many websites do these days).
#5) How does Lead Safe Mama, LLC measure success?
The simplest way for us to measure the success of this work (in terms of the reach and impact of our work) is by tracking unique page views (readership) here on the Lead Safe Mama website (LeadSafeMama.com/ TamaraRubin.com).
The more page views we have each month, the more people we are demonstrably able to reach with the messages and information (to help them protect their children from exposures to toxicants.) Thanks to Google Analytics, and JetPack stats, these numbers are easy to track and measure.
In addition to the reach and impact of our work (which is the most important measure of success), with more page views on the website, more income is earned through advertising contracts to help pay for the cost of the work, allowing for the continuation, expansion of and growth in the scope of our work (fundamentally making it possible for us to help more and more families protect their children from lead exposure every year.) Typically, about (an average of) one penny per page view is earned through advertising contracts here on the website.
- We estimate/project that Lead Safe Mama, LLC will be fully self-sufficient (where the income generated by the business covers all the costs of the business, including payments to those who work with us as subcontractors or employees) when unique page views on the site pass 7,200,000 annually (600,000 unique page views per month).
- As of November 2023 we are on track to approach (and possibly pass) 6,000,000 page views for the year. which works out to an average of close to 500,000 page views per month – so we are at about 83% of our goal right now!
#6) Lead Safe Mama, LLC business standards and priorities include:
- Ensuring any statements we make in any forum (in writing, on video, or in speaking engagements) are evidence-based and rooted in science.
- Working only with corporate sponsors and business partners who adhere to strict standards for using 100% Lead-free materials in their current product manufacturing processes (or who manufacture the best available science-based products for childhood Lead poisoning prevention initiatives.)
- Whenever possible, hire women who are returning to the workplace after being on leave for raising children.
- Positions right now are only subcontractor positions, but with growth and expansion, we hope to graduate toward earning enough income to hire employees and offer benefits, including health insurance.
#7) Is Lead Safe Mama, LLC a 501(c)3 Non-profit?
We are NOT a nonprofit. As such, contributions are NOT tax-deductible in any way. Thank you for being a partner in this work and in expanding the reach and impact of this message.
Darrell Williams says
The link to the page describing leadfree Mama, said it also has the testing lab reports that are discussed on this website, but it does not have it. Where can I get the lab report on BOO?
Tamara says
We are not a Lab – the report of our findings (XRF Test results for the product) is directly in the original post (please scroll down on that original post page to see the test results.)
Tamara
Ana says
What about dishes dishes with no design
Tamara says
Lots of plain white dishes still have high levels of lead unfortunately:
https://tamararubin.com/2022/07/vintage-antique-wedgwood-willow-weave-white-ceramic-dish-made-in-england-55300-ppm-lead-on-the-food-surface/
Tamara
Crystal says
Hi Tamara – I recently discovered that I have heavy metal toxicity of aluminum, copper, lead and mercury. I’m deep in the process of finding out where the contaminants are coming from and I wanted to see if you would be willing to do testing on my everyday dinnerware, which is from my in-laws. They received it in 1966. It is not currently listed on your website. Thanks in advance!
Katie Prater says
Is there a complete list of all of the Corelle patterns and toxicity with photos of patterns? I have other patterns that were not shown, one platter with orange and yellow flowers and another with a brownish outline of flowers. Or are ALL painted Corelle dishes dangerous?
Tamara says
All of the vintage ones have unsafe levels of Lead.
holly Allen says
I’m new here, I’m glad I found you via Facebook grandmilliniel page, anyway, I can’t find anything on copper chef square pans or cookware? Where would I look, on their website it says safe ceramic coating, and I saw the part about you and your husband’s debate on ceramic but could you point me where to look? Thanks!
Crystal says
I recently discovered that I have heavy metal toxicity including lead. I’m deep in the process of finding out where the contaminants are coming from and I wanted to see if you would be willing to do testing on my everyday dinnerware, which is from my in-laws. They received it in 1966. It is not currently listed on your website.
Samantha Linke says
Which lead testing swabs do you recommend!
Tamara says
There are no swabs that are good for testing consumer goods.
Read this:
https://tamararubin.com/2023/01/dont-panic-these-lead-test-kits-do-not-work-for-testing-consumer-goods-you-might-as-well-tear-up-your-money-and-throw-it-in-the-trash/
Read this:
https://tamararubin.com/2022/05/why-i-do-the-consumer-goods-testing-i-do-why-you-cannot-do-this-at-home/
Crystal says
Can you test the China they gave me for a fee?
Mary Shanahan says
Hello! I have been following your website for a while. I tried to send you an email. Could you look into this matter involving organic produce?
I found out that almost all the grocery stores and distributers are applying Apeel, Organipeel, and Invisipeel coatings to organic fruits and vegetables without notifying customers.
According to Apeel ‘s own GRAS Notice, its edible coatings may have residues including ethyl acetate, heptane, palladium, arsenic, mercury and lead. The FDA concluded that the residues were below required limits. Organipeel is registered with the EPA as a pesticide ( fungicide).
Somehow, they don’t have to declare it on the produce? Organic produce is already expensive.
Kindest regards
Mary
Arthur Moorhead says
Hi Tamara,
My mother gave us a collection of “Russel Wright China by Iroquois” dinner plates/teacups/salad plates etc. I estimate they are from the 1940s-1950s.
Should we be concerned about lead?
Thank you,
Arthur M.