The swab on the right is light pink from testing this bottle, even though it is over 19,000 ppm Lead. I uploaded two videos on YouTube about this bottle, too (each video is under three minutes long and discusses the specific concerns).
Video #1
Video #2
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).
Full XRF Test Results for the Pyrex Bottle Pictured
Test #1) Orange plastic lid to water bottle
30-second test
- Lead (Pb): Non-detect
- Cadmium (Cd): Non-detect
- Mercury (Hg): Non-detect
- Bromine (Br): Non-detect
- Chromium (Cr): 343 +/- 39 ppm
- Iron (Fe): 26 +/- 13 ppm
- Copper (Cu): 13 +/- 9 ppm
- Zinc (Zn): 42 +/- 5 ppm
- Titanium (Ti): 3,526 +/- 188 ppm
- Antimony (Sb): 271 +/- 13 ppm
- Barium (Ba(: 118 +/- 55 ppm
Test #2) Plain glass of water bottle
60-second test
- Lead (Pb): Non-detect
- Cadmium (Cd): 13 +/- 2 ppm
- Mercury (Hg): Non-detect
- Bromine (Br): Non-detect
- Chromium (Cr): Non-detect
- Iron (Fe): 132 +/- 37 ppm
- Zirconium (Zr): 665 +/- 9 ppm
- Nb: 354 +/- 8 ppm
- Indium (In): 14 +/- 3 ppm
- Tin (Sn): 12 +/- 3 ppm
Test #3) Paint on glass of water bottle
60-second test
- Lead (Pb): 19,200 +/- 200 ppm
- Cadmium (Cd): 217 +/- 5 ppm
- Mercury (Hg): 53 +/- 9 ppm
- Bromine (Br): Non-detect
- Chromium (Cr): Non-detect
- Titanium (Ti): 26,500 +/- 600 ppm
- Zirconium (Zr): 881 +/- 12 ppm
- Nb: 221 +/- 8 ppm
- Indium (In): 14 +/- 3 ppm
- Platinum (Pt): 333 +/- 32 ppm
All test results reported on this website are science-based, accurate, and replicable. Testing on each component is completed multiple times to confirm the results found before results are reported. With Lead-free paints available to industries, it is our opinion that there is no excuse for modern products to continue being painted with high-Lead paint (regardless of the application or intended functional use of that product).
Some additional reading that may be of interest:
- Why is this a problem, since the Lead is “only on the outside?”
- More Pyrex pieces with XRF test results
- Vintage Pyrex items with XRF test results
- Pyrex measuring cups with XRF test results
- The same issue can be found on new glass baby bottles painted with Lead paint
- Things you can test at home with a LeadCheck swab
- Things you really cannot test at home (and are better tested with XRF technology)
As always, please let me know if you have any questions. Thank you for reading and thank you for sharing this work.
Tamara Rubin
#LeadSafeMama
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