Authentic Original Disney Parks (Made In Thailand) Little Mermaid coffee mug: 5,758 ppm Lead (90+ is unsafe for kids) + 1,221 ppm Cadmium (causes cancer.)

Published: February 10, 2022

Scroll down to read the full XRF test results for the mug pictured.
Authentic Original Disney Parks Little Mermaid “coffee” mug (Made In Thailand)

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Quick summary:

The inside / food surface of this mug is safe by all standards. The exterior decorations have unsafe levels of both Lead and Cadmium [and arguably unsafe levels of Cobalt, as well – although there is currently no regulatory standard for total content (XRF-detectable) level for Cobalt]. This is considered legal because this is a “coffee” mug and, as such, is “not an item intended for use by children”.

Items intended for use by adults are not regulated at all for total (XRF-detectable) Lead and Cadmium content — and can therefore legally have as much of those poisonous substances as the manufactures want to use. [If this were sold as “an item intended for use by children”, the Lead levels alone (even though they are on the exterior of the mug) would make this a flagrant violation of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (it would be considered blatantly illegal).]

This is an interesting piece — because the manufacturer (Disney Parks) obviously made the effort to make the interior food surface “safe” – in order to follow Federal and California laws – including leach-testing standards – but did not extend these same manufacturing standards & practices to the exterior decorations (which include some of the same colors!) likely only because they were not required to. You would really think Disney could do better than that (and would hold themselves to higher standards – like knowing a Little Mermaid mug was likely something that would be used by a child and should adhere to the strictest standards where toxicity is concerned.)

This is an example clearly demonstrating that the lack of corporate responsibility / accountability in manufacturing spans most companies, including ones we would think that – given their inherent corporate goals and mission – would know better / be better / do better.

Reading #1) On light blue background on exterior
60-second test

Lead (Pb): 62 +/- 7 ppm (safe by all standards)
Mercury (Hg): non-detect
Cadmium (Cd): non-detect
Arsenic (As): non-detect
Antimony (Sb): non-detect
Bromine (Br): non-detect
Chromium (Cr): 1,362 +/- 170 ppm
Vanadium (V): 4,513 +/- 360 ppm
Manganese (Mn): 216 +/- 91 ppm
Iron (Fe): 1,466 +/- 79 ppm
Cobalt (Co): 206 +/- 34 ppm
Nickel (Ni): 205 +/- 40 ppm
Copper (Cu): 584 +/- 27 ppm
Zinc (Zn): 2,232 +/- 44 ppm
Titanium (Ti): 1,063 +/- 555 ppm
Zirconium (Zr): 33,200 +/- 400 ppm
Tin (Sn): 249 +/- 9 ppm
Barium (Ba): 171 +/- 26 ppm
Platinum (Pt): 261 +/- 25 ppm
Bismuth (Bi): 142 +/- 9 ppm
No other metals detected in consumer goods mode.

Reading #2) On green turtle design on exterior
30-second test

Lead (Pb): 120 +/- 14 ppm
Cadmium (Cd): 179 +/- 10 ppm
Mercury (Hg): non-detect
Arsenic (As): non-detect
Antimony (Sb): non-detect
Bromine (Br): non-detect
Chromium (Cr): 8,046 +/- 405 ppm
Vanadium (V): 6,394 +/- 581 ppm
Manganese (Mn): 367 +/- 159 ppm
Iron (Fe): 952 +/- 103 ppm
Cobalt (Co): 1,706 +/- 89 ppm
Nickel (Ni): 168 +/- 60 ppm
Copper (Cu): 440 +/- 36 ppm
Zinc (Zn): 4,502 +/- 105 ppm
Titanium (Ti): 40,100 +/- 1,300 ppm
Zirconium (Zr): 35,800 +/- 700 ppm
Tin (Sn): 273 +/- 14 ppm
Barium (Ba): 297 +/- 38 ppm
Platinum (Pt): 244 +/- 40 ppm
Bismuth (Bi): 530 +/- 21 ppm
No other metals detected in consumer goods mode.

Reading #3) In dark blue decor on exterior
30-second test

Lead (Pb): 5,758 +/- 105 ppm
Cadmium (Cd): 32 +/- 6 ppm
Mercury (Hg): non-detect
Arsenic (As): non-detect
Antimony (Sb): non-detect
Bromine (Br): non-detect
Chromium (Cr): 9,710 +/- 400 ppm
Vanadium (V): 5,483 +/- 498 ppm
Manganese (Mn): 346 +/- 150 ppm
Iron (Fe): 5,995 +/- 192 ppm
Cobalt (Co): 9,927 +/- 233 ppm
Copper (Cu): 382 +/- 33 ppm
Zinc (Zn): 5,079 +/- 111 ppm
Titanium (Ti): 16,900 +/- 1,000 ppm
Zirconium (Zr): 34,800 +/- 700 ppm
Tin (Sn): 360 +/- 15 ppm
Barium (Ba): 341 +/- 38 ppm
Platinum (Pt): 262 +/- 46 ppm
Gold (Au): 64 +/- 34 ppm
Bismuth (Bi): 265 +/- 21 ppm
No other metals detected in consumer goods mode.

Reading #4) On red of mermaid’s hair
30-second test

Lead (Pb): non-detect
Cadmium (Cd): 1,221 +/- 33 ppm
Mercury (Hg): non-detect
Arsenic (As): non-detect
Antimony (Sb): non-detect
Bromine (Br): non-detect
Chromium (Cr): 2,584 +/- 266 ppm
Vanadium (V): 5,067 +/- 537 ppm
Manganese (Mn): 251 +/- 129 ppm
Iron (Fe): 1,423 +/- 107 ppm
Cobalt (Co): 1,078 +/- 70 ppm
Nickel (Ni): 167 +/- 55 ppm
Copper (Cu): 374 +/- 32 ppm
Zinc (Zn): 4,235 +/- 95 ppm
Selenium (Se): 896 +/- 26 ppm
Titanium (Ti): 37,600 +/- 1,300 ppm
Zirconium (Zr): 32,300 +/- 600 ppm
Tin (Sn): 243 +/- 12 ppm
Barium (Ba): 331 +/- 36 ppm
Platinum (Pt): 220 +/- 36 ppm
Bismuth (Bi): 586 +/- 21 ppm
No other metals detected in consumer goods mode.

Reading #5) On black Disney Parks logo on bottom of mug
30-second test

Lead (Pb): 3,959 +/- 84 ppm
Cadmium (Cd): 22 +/- 7 ppm
Mercury (Hg): non-detect
Arsenic (As): non-detect
Antimony (Sb): non-detect
Bromine (Br): non-detect
Chromium (Cr): 13,300 +/- 500 ppm
Manganese (Mn): 281 +/- 180 ppm
Iron (Fe): 1,514 +/- 123 ppm
Cobalt (Co): 238 +/- 53 ppm
Nickel (Ni): 140 +/- 63 ppm
Copper (Cu): 3,457 +/- 104 ppm
Zinc (Zn): 2,275 +/- 68 ppm
Zirconium (Zr): 44,500 +/- 900 ppm
Tin (Sn): 386 +/- 18 ppm
Barium (Ba): 229 +/- 45 ppm
Platinum (Pt): 349 +/- 48 ppm
Bismuth (Bi): 94 +/- 18 ppm
No other metals detected in consumer goods mode.

Reading #6) Dark blue fish design on inside of the mug
30-second test

Lead (Pb): 66 +/- 21 ppm (safe by all standards)
Mercury (Hg): non-detect
Cadmium (Cd): non-detect
Arsenic (As): non-detect
Antimony (Sb): non-detect
Bromine (Br): non-detect
Chromium (Cr): 971 +/- 432 ppm
Iron (Fe): 1,353 +/- 218 ppm
Cobalt (Co): 724 +/- 126 ppm
Copper (Cu): 297 +/- 70 ppm
Zinc (Zn): 5,913 +/- 243 ppm
Zirconium (Zr): 30,000 +/- 1,100 ppm
Barium (Ba): 254 +/- 72 ppm
Platinum (Pt): 140 +/- 91 ppm
Bismuth (Bi): 103 +/- 24 ppm
No other metals detected in consumer goods mode.

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. Tamara’s sons were acutely Lead-poisoned in August of 2005. 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. Tamara uses 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 tested. Please click through to this link to learn more about the testing methodology used for the test results discussed and reported on this website.