Modern Handmade Japanese Ceramic Dishes Example #5: 17,800 ppm Lead in the yellow glaze.

July 24, 2021 – Saturday
Introduction:

Tamara Rubin is an independent advocate for consumer goods safety, and she is also a mother of Lead-poisoned children. She began testing consumer goods for toxicants in 2009, and was the parent-advocate responsible for finding Lead in the popular fidget spinner toys in 2017. She uses XRF testing (a scientific method used by the Consumer Product Safety Commission) to test consumer goods for metallic toxicants (including Lead, Cadmium, Mercury and Arsenic). To read more about the testing methodology employed for the test results reported on this blog, please click this link.

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The test results of most of the consumer goods shared on this blog are from items that have been sent in by my readers for testing and reporting. I share them with you to help you make informed decisions for your family (so you can have an idea of what to look for [and what you might want to avoid] in making safer choices for your home.)

Reading #1.) XRF test results for the dish pictured – Orange Glaze
60-second minimum test (repeated multiple times to confirm the results)

• Lead (Pb): 7,809 +/- 77 ppm
• Iron (Fe): 16,700 +/- 200 ppm
• Copper (Cu): 55 +/- 11 ppm
• Zinc (Zn): 605 +/- 17 ppm
• Antimony (Sb): 15 +/- 5 ppm
• Platinum (Pt): 188 +/- 24 ppm

Reading #2.) XRF test results for the dish pictured – “White” Glaze
60-second minimum test (repeated multiple times to confirm the results)

• Lead (Pb): 21 +/- 4 ppm
• Iron (Fe): 9,289 +/- 162 ppm
• Copper (Cu): 62 +/- 12 ppm
• Zinc (Zn): 122 +/- 9 ppm
• Barium (Ba): 32 +/- 13 ppm

Reading #3.) XRF test results for the dish pictured –  Dark Brown Glaze
60-second minimum test (repeated multiple times to confirm the results)

• Lead (Pb): 34 +/- 4 ppm
• Cadmium (Cd): 4 +/- 2 ppm
• Chromium (Cr): 2,838 +/- 146 ppm
• Iron (Fe): 32,700 +/- 400 ppm
• Copper (Cu): 22 +/- 10 ppm
• Zinc (Zn): 99 +/- 8 ppm
• Indium (In): 5 +/- 3 ppm
• Tin (Sn): 6 +/- 3 ppm
• Bismuth (Bi): 17 +/- 4 ppm

Reading #4.) XRF test results for the dish pictured –  Green Glaze
60-second minimum test (repeated multiple times to confirm the results)

• Lead (Pb): 13,800 +/- 100 ppm
• Chromium (Cr): 3,190 +/- 159 ppm
• Iron (Fe): 9,432 +/- 153 ppm
• Cobalt (Co): 272 +/- 40 ppm
• Copper (Cu): 51 +/- 12 ppm
• Zinc (Zn): 2,578 +/- 42 ppm
• Tin (Sn): 182 +/- 6 ppm
• Antimony (Sb): 168 +/- 7 ppm
• Barium (Ba): 26 +/- 15 ppm
• Platinum (Pt): 222 +/- 31 ppm

Reading #5.) XRF test results for the dish pictured –  Yellow Glaze
60-second minimum test (repeated multiple times to confirm the results)

• Lead (Pb): 17,800 +/- 200 ppm
• Iron (Fe): 7,314 +/- 146 ppm
• Copper (Cu): 36 +/- 13 ppm
• Zinc (Zn): 1,825 +/- 38 ppm
• Indium (In): 6 +/- 4 ppm
• Tin (Sn): 367 +/- 9 ppm
• Antimony (Sb): 331 +/- 10 ppm
• Platinum (Pt): 106 +/- 36 ppm

Reading #6.) XRF test results for the dish pictured –  Back Mark
60-second minimum test (repeated multiple times to confirm the results)

• Lead (Pb): 1,181 +/- 20 ppm
• Cadmium (Cd): 6 +/- 2 ppm
• Iron (Fe): 13,000 +/- 200 ppm
• Copper (Cu): 24 +/- 10 ppm
• Zinc (Zn): 200 +/- 10 ppm
• Platinum (Pt): 45 +/- 15 ppm

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Some additional reading that might be of interest:

• The post discussing the testing methodology used on this website
• Post discussing how to send in an item for testing
• Things that you can test at home.
• Things that might be better tested with an XRF instrument.
• “Can I test my dishes myself at home?”

Thanks for reading. Thank you for sharing my posts. As always, please let me know if you have any questions and I will do my best to answer them personally as soon as I have a moment (which may not be right away – but I will try!)

Tamara Rubin
#LeadSafeMama

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