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). 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 tested. Tamara’s work was featured in Consumer Reports Magazine in February of 2023 (March 2023 print edition).
Sunday #Fundraiser! 5/23/2021
Post #6 of 10!
For Sunday 5/23/21 I promised to publish one article (with XRF test results for a consumer good not previously reported!) for each contribution (in any amount) that came in support of the work of the Lead Safe Mama Team. The Goal: To raise (from contributions) or earn (from deposits for future events or home consultations) $4,535 by the end of the month. So far, TEN friends have contributed $335! (Only $4,200 left to raise!)
This piece is #6 (number SIX!) of the 10 posts promised (since TEN contributions came in on Sunday)! Thank you for being here. If you are in a position to make a contribution in support of this collaborative work, here are the different platforms for giving (all contributions are reported as business income to Lead Safe Mama, LLC):
- Venmo: @TamaraERubin
- Zelle: @503-702-2708
- PayPal: TamaraRubin@Mac.com
- GoFundMe: http://www.GoFundMe.com/LeadSafeMama
XRF test results for the coin-purse/ key-chain pictured:
Note: All test result sets reported here were on components tested multiple times to confirm the results. Each component was tested for 30 seconds or longer for each test. Results are science-based, accurate, and replicable. Please click here to learn more about the testing reported on this website. The work reported here is a collaborative effort between the Lead Safe Mama team and our readers. Readers send us things for testing and also help us cover the costs of the testing reported here on the site. In this way, the test results shared here are truly independent of any industry or specific corporate influence. Click here for more details on how to send in an item for testing.
Reading #1) on the vinyl of the purse
60-second reading
- Lead (Pb): 880 +/- 42 ppm
- Cadmium (Cd): 196 +/- 13 ppm
- Antimony (Sb): 96 +/- 20 ppm
- Silver (Ag): 29 +/- 6 ppm
- Tin (Sn): 179 +/- 18 ppm
- Palladium (Pd): 18 +/- 5 ppm
- Zinc (Zn): 628 +/- 54 ppm
- Copper (Cu): 195 +/- 48 ppm
- Iron (Fe): 684 +/- 151 ppm
- Indium (In): 64 +/- 12 ppm
- Vanadium (V): 600 +/- 292 ppm
- Titanium (Ti): 25,500 +/- 1,300 ppm
Reading #2) on the metal clasp of the purse
- Nb: 1,869 +/- 245 ppm
- Tin (Sn): 204 +/- 94 ppm
- Copper (Cu): 382,400 +/- 37,000 ppm
- Nickel (Ni): 341,600 +/- 31,000 ppm
- Cobalt (Co): 4,449 +/- 731 ppm
- Iron (Fe): 164,300 +/- 3,900 ppm
- Manganese (Mn): 568 +/- 284 ppm
Reading #3) on the keychain loop of the purse
- Nb: 1,429 +/- 116 ppm
- Copper (Cu): 28,100 +/- 1,200 ppm
- Nickel (Ni): 349,900 +/- 2,800 ppm
- Iron (Fe): 612,700 +/- 2,600 ppm
- Manganese (Mn): 2,364 +/- 448 ppm
- Titanium (Ti): 1,537 +/- 722 ppm
Curious…when you find items like this do you file a report with a CPSC? I looked at saferproducts.com and didn’t see anything.
If it is sold as a child’s product my readers often help by filing reports with the CPSC. This is an impulse buy/ key ring – and not technically sold as a child’s product so the CPSC would not likely issue a recall, but I love it when readers help out and take that next step. The work here is (as always) a collaborative effort with my readers. As a low-income mother of disabled / lead-poisoned children I just can’t do it all (I have my hands full with the testing, the writing, answering questions and also taking care of my kids!) and I am so thankful that so many people step up and engage in this way. [But again – this is not sold as a children’s item… so I doubt the CPSC would take action.]
Tamara
Of course, that makes total sense. If you or the person who sent this in has any additional info about the purse I will gladly fill out the CPSC report. If there’s no additional info, I’ll fill one out with what you have here. A Hail Mary!