NEW 2022 Williams Sonoma Sicily Pattern Dish (Made in Italy): 15,800 ppm Lead, 20,000 ppm Cobalt, 243 ppm Antimony, 381 ppm Cadmium

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February 13, 2022 — Sunday

Below are the full XRF test results for the Made In Italy, Sicily Pattern (yellow) dinner plate pictured on this post (sold new, today — February 2022 at William Sonoma for $16.95 per dish).

Note: It is not illegal for newly-manufactured dishes to contain unsafe levels of Lead, Cadmium, Cobalt and Antimony — as long as they are classified as “items intended for use by adults.”

• The only regulatory standards that limit the XRF-detectable total content of Lead and other toxicants in dishware apply solely to items manufactured and marketed as “items intended for use by children.”
• Dishes are not considered to be “items intended for use by children.” (!!!!)
• The amount of Lead in the paint, glaze, or coating of an item intended for use by children that is considered illegal and unsafe is anything over 90 ppm.
• These dishes (pictured on this post — purchased new from Williams Sonoma this year in 2022) have Lead in excess of 15,800 ppm in some of the decorative elements, with all elements — including the white/plain glazed areas — exceeding 2,300 ppm. While this is not illegal, it should be!
• New dishes are regulated for any leaching Lead (any amount that might be coming off of the dish in normal use when the dishes are newly-manufactured). The problem is that over time the glazes and coatings wear (especially with daily use; microwaving, heating, use with acidic foods, scratching, and minor chipping during stacking and movement). Over time, a dish that might have passed leach testing standards at the time of manufacture may no longer be safe because (especially with daily, normal, use with hot and acidic foods), if the dish contains Lead it may gradually begin to leach. You can read more about this concern here.
• This is one reason — as consumers — we need to demand Lead-free dishware. Not just Lead-free, but Cadmium-free, Antimony-free, Arsenic-free, and Cobalt-free too! There is no defensible reason that in 2022 Williams Sonoma is creating dishes with glazed components that contain over 15,000 ppm of neurotoxic Lead!

These California-based companies (like Williams Sonoma, Pottery Barn, Crate & Barrel, and others) don’t seem to give a shit about protecting humans who buy their products (pardon my language, but I find their ongoing cavalier disregard obscene!). Using toxic heavy metals in the manufacturing process also has the potential to poison workers and pollute the earth — which are separate unsustainable considerations.This is why these companies are on my “Do not shop at” list (you can read that full post here).

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Reading #1) Yellow Glazed Area on rim of Dish
60-second reading

• Lead (Pb): 8,955 +/- 89 ppm
• Cadmium (Cd): 103 +/- 4 ppm
• Mercury (Hg): non-detect
• Bromine (Br): non-detect
• Chromium (Cr): 465 +/- 109 ppm
• Iron (Fe): 985 +/- 53 ppm
• Cobalt (Co): 81 +/- 22 ppm
• Copper (Cu): 307 +/- 17 ppm
• Zinc (Zn): 13,400 +/- 100 ppm
• Zirconium (Zr): 9,381 +/- 105 ppm
• Tin (Sn): 44 +/- 4 ppm
• Barium (Ba): 382 +/- 18 ppm
• Platinum (Pt): 75 +/-  31 ppm
• No other metals were detected in consumer goods mode.

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Reading #2) White Glazed Area of Dish in Center
60-second reading

• Lead (Pb): 2,512 +/- 31 ppm
• Cadmium (Cd): non-detect
• Mercury (Hg): non-detect
• Bromine (Br): 3 +/- 1 ppm
• Chromium (Cr): non-detect
• Iron (Fe): 1,324 +/- 53 ppm
• Cobalt (Co): 20,000 +/- 200 ppm
• Copper (Cu): 126 +/- 12 ppm
• Zinc (Zn): 14,700 +/- 100 ppm
• Zirconium (Zr): 4,813 +/- 49 ppm
• Barium (Ba): 345 +/- 15 ppm
• No other metals were detected in consumer goods mode.

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Reading #3) Center of Food Surface of Dish (Blue Glazed Area With Yellow dot in Center)
60-second reading

• Lead (Pb): 15,800 +/- 200 ppm
• Cadmium (Cd): 79 +/- 4 ppm
• Mercury (Hg): non-detect
• Bromine (Br): non-detect
• Chromium (Cr): 1,977 +/- 136 ppm
• Iron (Fe): 1,742 +/- 64 ppm
• Cobalt (Co): 3,381 +/- 71 ppm
• Nickel (Ni): 64 +/- 30 ppm
• Copper (Cu): 216 +/- 16 ppm
• Zinc (Zn): 13,400 +/- 100 ppm
• Zirconium (Zr): 8,473 +/- 102 ppm
• Tin (Sn): 902 +/- 15 ppm
• Antimony (Sb): 243 +/- 9 ppm
• Barium (Ba): 514 +/- 21 ppm
• Platinum (Pt): 61 +/- 35 ppm
• No other metals were detected in consumer goods mode.

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Reading #4) Center of Food Surface of Dish (Blue Glazed Area Only)
60-second reading

• Lead (Pb): 10,100 +/- 100 ppm
• Cadmium (Cd): 77 +/- 4 ppm
• Mercury (Hg): non-detect
• Bromine (Br): non-detect
• Chromium (Cr): 1,799 +/- 121 ppm
• Iron (Fe): 1,748 +/- 60 ppm
• Cobalt (Co): 20,000 +/- 200 ppm
• Copper (Cu): 234 +/- 16 ppm
• Zinc (Zn): 14,100 +/- 100 ppm
• Zirconium (Zr): 9,213 +/- 104 ppm
• Tin (Sn): 65 +/- 5 ppm
• Barium (Ba): 447 +/- 19 ppm
• Platinum (Pt): 59 +/- 32 ppm
• No other metals were detected in consumer goods mode.

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Reading #5) Rim of Food Surface of Dish (Focus on Red Area)
60-second reading

• Lead (Pb): 11,500 +/- 100 ppm
• Cadmium (Cd): 381 +/- 8 ppm
• Mercury (Hg): non-detect
• Bromine (Br): non-detect
• Chromium (Cr): 2,423 +/- 142 ppm
• Iron (Fe): 2,746 +/- 77 ppm
• Cobalt (Co): 6,754 +/- 106 ppm
• Nickel (Ni): 189 +/-  34 ppm
• Copper (Cu): 384 +/- 19 ppm
• Zinc (Zn): 12,800 +/- 100 ppm
• Zirconium (Zr): 12,700 +/- 100 ppm
• Tin (Sn): 148 +/- 6 ppm
• Antimony (Sb): 28 +/- 7 ppm
• Barium (Ba): 427 +/- 20 ppm
• Platinum (Pt): 125 +/- 34 ppm
• No other metals were detected in consumer goods mode.

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Reading #6) On Back Mark of Dish
60-second reading

• Lead (Pb): 2,327 +/- 32 ppm
• Cadmium (Cd): 6 +/- 2 ppm
• Mercury (Hg): non-detect
• Bromine (Br): 2 +/- 1 ppm
• Chromium (Cr): 2,809 +/- 148 ppm
• Iron (Fe): 3,656 +/- 86 ppm
• Cobalt (Co): 383 +/- 32 ppm
• Nickel (Ni): 103 +/- 26 ppm
• Copper (Cu): 128 +/- 13 ppm
• Zinc (Zn): 15,600 +/- 200 ppm
• Zirconium (Zr): 4,850 +/- 54 ppm
• Tin (Sn): 140 +/- 5 ppm
• Barium (Ba): 325 +/- 16 ppm
• No other metals were detected in consumer goods mode.

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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.